Political forgiveness lessons from South Africa - Daye, Russell (Maryknoll, New York Orbis Books, 2004)
South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission; The nature of forgiveness --Theoretical issues. Interpersonal forgiveness; Political forgiveness - Historical overview. 1948-1994: the apartheid era; The new dispensation -- Act one: truth-telling. The need for truth; Finding a way to name the harm done; The promise, limits, and structure of truth-telling; Truth-telling at the TRC; Lessons from the HRV investigations; The HRV investigations and forgiveness -- Act two: apology and the claiming of responsibility. An almost apology backfires; Nicholas Tavuchis's sociology of apology; Personal and public apology at the TRC; Apology and moral community; Accepting responsibility: a step beyond truth-telling -- Act three: building a transitional justice framework: part 1: the amnesty option. The individual amnesty adjudicated by the TRC -- Act three: building a transitional justice framework: part 2: revenge and restoration. Our ambivalent relationship with revenge; Retributive emotions and retributive justice; Restorative justice; Transitional justice in South Africa; The restoration and celebration of the dignity of victims; The implementation of measures to ensure accountability; The entrenchment, upholding, and protection of human rights; The implementation of measures to advance distributive justice; The prevention of revenge - taking and other forms of violence; Conclusion -- Act four: findings ways to heal. The traumatized nation; Healing and the TRC; Reparations -- Act five: embracing forgiveness. Exclusion and embrace: the theology of Miroslav Volf; Delicate networks of interdependence: the theology of Desmond Tutu -- Conclusion. A final word about the TRC; A final word about the model; Applying the model to the Israeli - Palestinian conflict; Applying the model to Northern Ireland.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-202) and index.
Keywords: South Africa. -- Truth and Reconciliation Commission; Reconciliation -- Political aspects -- South Africa; Amnesty -- South Africa