Abstract

While a handful of scholars have probed the purported link between peace and justice, the notion that a sustainable peace is a just peace has become a mantra amongst many policymakers and civil society activists.1 Whether through formal, ad hoc or traditional means, confronting historical injustices is seen as essential to restoring the rule of law, creating honest and inclusive historical narratives, and enabling the coexistence of hostile groups by taming the desire for vengeance. In particular, reparations programmes are attracting increased interest from researchers and policymakers alike. Under international law, reparation encompasses three main types of remedy: restitution, financial compensation and satisfaction. Restitution aims to restore the conditions that existed prior to a violation, and often involves the return of homes, artefacts or land, while satisfaction addresses non-material injuries and may involve activities such as official apologies, judicial proceedings or truth and reconciliation commissions. Politically, reparations may be understood as the ‘entire spectrum of attempts to rectify historical injustices’.