Canada: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
RJI shares the following news story from Canada’s CBC network regarding the work of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. After six years of work the commission made its recommendation upon hearing from victims/survivors from Aboriginal Peoples in Canada abused in residential schools. Without speaking the truth restorative justice cannot prevail. This is a good first step towards some degree of healing and restoration of the victims.
Truth and Reconciliation Commissions are a form of restorative justice often used to respond to systemic injustice and human rights violations. A good example of this is apartheid in South Africa in the 1990s. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was used to respond to what appeared to be an intractable system of injustice. http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-trc
After severe injury and violations against victims those responsible must be held accountable–as directly as possible. Hearing from the victims/survivors is critical to both the healing of the victims but also in seeking the truth. RJI is encouraged to see the recommendations of the commission and the general positive response by those victims/survivors by the actions of the commission. Healing cannot occur unless actions are taken to shine a light on abuse.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/truth-and-reconciliation-report-brings-calls-for-action-not-words-1.3096863