ABSTRACT
Transitional justice (TJ) has emerged as a key global norm and set of mechanisms for societies to come to terms with a past of mass atrocities. Legal measures to hold perpetrators accountable, attempts to seek the truth about and acknowledge past human rights abuses, and compensation for victims and memorialization are all part of the TJ repertoire. This chapter discusses the engagement of diasporas in transitional justice. It looks at how TJ has become globalized as victims, perpetrators and activists are dispersed globally through migration, leading contestation around how the past should be dealt with to take place in various sites outside the country in which the atrocities happened. The chapter gives examples of diaspora attempts at influencing TJ processes in the home country, TJ activities initiated by diasporas as well as attempts at holding diaspora-based perpetrators accountable. It discusses the various ways in which diaspora actors influence TJ processes – but also recognizes that TJ processes shape diaspora mobilization and identity.
