After oppression

About this book

"The decline of authoritarianism in Latin America and Eastern Europe marked the end of a dark chapter in the history of these societies. In both regions, transition to democracy was accompanied by distinct efforts to come to terms with the traumatic experiences of the past and to demand accountability from the oppressors. The impact of these efforts rippled far beyond national boundaries, expanding the frontiers of international justice and yielding indelible lessons and inspiration. As these societies crossed the uncharted waters of transition and liberalization, one difficult question remained: How can the need for democratic stability in the present and future be reconciled with the imperative of truth and justice for the past? This was an unprecedented test: societies made their way forward often through trial and error, steps ahead were followed by steps back. After Oppression enquires into the effectiveness of various accountability mechanisms and argues that while there are many different paths to truth and justice, all depend on continued efforts in order to reach them. In many cases these efforts also create favourable conditions for the development of a resilient human rights culture. This book demonstrates that democratic consolidation and accountability for past human rights violations are closely related, if independent, processes"--P. [4] of cover.