Has South African reconciliation worked?

Reconciliation begins with seeking the truth, while acknowledging the grievances of the distressed and providing some way to address the damage.

It is 20 years since the beginning of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that was aimed at bringing the country together after the end of apartheid in 1994.

The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has played a key role in advancing interracial reconciliation in South Africa, and has become a model to illustrate how transitional justice interventions can be used to heal divided societies and advance reconciliation. Reconciliation Commission in South Africa after the end of apartheid is a role model for the power of forgiveness.

In order to bring closure to the past, South Africa chose to set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where human rights offenders could get amnesty in exchange for sharing the truth.

It was hailed as an innovative model for building peace and justice and for holding accountable those guilty of human rights violations. At the same time, it laid the foundation for building reconciliation among all South Africans.