Assessing Local Experiences of Truth-Telling in Sierra Leone: Getting to 'Why' through a Qualitative Case Study Analysis
Abstract
1 This article presents findings from a qualitative case study assessment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Sierra Leone. It contributes to the empirical evidence concerning the psychologically healing effects of postwar truth telling processes and adds significantly to the specificity of such findings. The article distinguishes between the experiences of truth telling among the educated elite minority and the majority of local residents, and shows that these divergent experiences are related to different levels of access to the benefits, and incorporation of the international discourses, of postwar healing. It concludes with a word on the ability of the TRC to catalyze healing in the local context of Sierra Leone and the benefits of the ethnographic approach for the assessment of transitional justice mechanisms.
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Many in Makeni expected much more from the TRC, and some attended the first day but did not return because they received 'no good thing.'
“To many, as I have reported elsewhere (Millar, 2010), there was much more expected from the TRC and some went the first day but did not return again because they were receiving ' no good thing. '”
From Local Evaluations of Justice through Truth Telling in Sierra Leone: Postwar Needs and Transitional Justice (2011) · cites this paper as Millar, 2010
The TRC public education efforts largely failed to communicate fully the purpose and procedures of the TRC to local people.
“However, as has been described elsewhere, these efforts largely failed to communicate fully the purpose and procedures of the TRC to the local people (TRC 2004, 161; Sawyer et al. 2007; Millar 2010), and this failure had serious repercussions for the later stages of the Commissions work.”
From Local Evaluations of Justice through Truth Telling in Sierra Leone: Postwar Needs and Transitional Justice (2011) · cites this paper as Millar 2010
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Millar, G. (2011) · Human Rights Review · doi:10.1007/s12142-011-0195-x · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Self-citationLoyle, C. E., & Appel, B. J. (2017) · International Studies Quarterly · doi:10.1093/isq/sqx045 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Reconciliation in a Transitional Justice Perspective
Skaar, E. (2013) · Transitional Justice Review · doi:10.5206/tjr.2012.1.1.4 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
- Authors
- Millar, G.
- Affiliations
- Marlboro College (US)
- Corresponding author
- Millar, G.
- ORCID
- Millar, G.
- Venue
- International Journal of Transitional Justice
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2010-11-01
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 477-496
- ISSN
- 1752-7716 (ISSN-L)
- 1752-7724
- OpenAlex
- W2124114170
- Cited by
- 81
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 33.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Transitional Justice (publishedVersion)
- Aberdeen University Research Archive (Aberdeen University) (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › War, Law, and Justice
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Peacebuilding and International Security
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Memory, violence, and history
- Keywords
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission, truth-telling, transitional justice, Sierra Leone civil war, local residents, access to benefits, international discourse, Sierra Leone
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