ABSTRACT
Central to the relational tasks of reconciliation efforts are the projects designed to draw former enemies into relationship with one another through apology, forgiveness and individual and societal healing. Perhaps the most famous truth commission of the past few decades has been South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which has seen many hundreds of thousands of words of text devoted to its analysis. Jose Serech maintains that while 'the right to truth' is an essential precondition for further reconciliation efforts, 'the right to justice' and 'the right to reparations for damages' must complement a new understanding of truth and history. The demand for retributive justice has also led to criticism of the amnesties offered as a means of securing participation in truth commission processes. In South Africa, Michael Lapsley remains convinced that 'the healing of memories' allows traumatized people to connect at 'the deepest human level', which he believes is important for national reconciliation.
