ABSTRACT
This article examines kastom reconciliations as practiced in a Melanesian cultural context in the resolution of everyday disputes and as a means of peacebuilding after large-scale violent conflict. It explores Melanesian-style reconciliation in relation to the conventional international discourse on transitional justice, asking whether kastom reconciliations are – or can be – an alternative to, or a specific ‘vernacularised’ form of, transitional justice. Using examples primarily from post-conflict Bougainville and Solomon Islands, the article addresses some of the strengths and limitations of kastom reconciliation in comparison to those of transitional justice. In conclusion it is posited that protagonists of transitional justice could gain insights from the study of Melanesian reconciliations that would help them to reflect on their own taken-for-granted assumptions and consider avenues for developing the concept of transitional justice, making it more meaningful, effective and legitimate in a context such as Melanesia.
