Local/e

Abstract

Abstract Recognizing that the “local” has become a central concern in “transitional justice,” this chapter asks whether this is an expression of a long-standing fetishization of “cultural authenticity” associated with (neo)colonial control. The chapter suggests that “internationals” often rely upon a fabricated “local” (identified by an exoticized “culture”). A consequence of this is that post-conflict responses that are insufficiently exotic are overlooked or intentionally ignored as they are not prone to external instumentalization. Likewise, an emphasis on an exoticized “culture” means that certain sites of transitional justice that are portrayed as being “acultural” (such as international criminal tribunals) escape scrutiny, thereby augmenting the authority of the proponents of “transitional justice.” The chapter concludes by suggesting that recognizing that “transitional justice” is a project involving diverse actors in dispersed locale(s) is a more appropriate approach than focusing on the “local.”