Human Rights and the Promise of Political Forgiveness

Abstract

While legal retribution provides an effective way of confronting wrongdoing within stable, developed societies, the retributive model is not well equipped to deal with regime offenses, civil war atrocities, and genocide. If deeply divided societies are to be healed, more than punishment is required. A more effective approach in dealing with systemic offenses is restorative justice, which emphasizes the reparation of human relationships. Unlike retribution, which emphasizes accountability and punishment, the restorative approach pursues healing and reconciliation based on truth, acknowledgement of wrongdoing, remorse and contrition, renunciation of revenge, and forgiveness. The mitigation of punishment is thus a means to the restoration of community.