ABSTRACT
Focusing on the renowned example of South Africa following apartheid, this chapter examines the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) model as a promising approach to acknowledge nervousness associated with historical, state-sanctioned acts of violence and oppression. TRC commissions are charged with revealing, documenting, negotiating, and providing recommendations to reconcile past injustices committed by a state. This process has the potential to help government bodies reckon with the inequities they have perpetuated, and therefore process feelings of nervousness and shame resulting from their actions. After conducting a systematic literature review, this chapter finds that the South African TRC serves as a model for advancing restorative justice during a period of transition. However, the TRC was not able to promote redistributive justice for Black and Coloured South Africans. This limitation has extended economic inequities that serve as a remaining area of nervousness in the country today.
