Victims of Political Violence: A Habermasian Model of Truth Recovery

Abstract

This article focuses on truth recovery as a core aspect of the transition from political violence to peace and reconciliation. It is crucial within any process of truth recovery in transitional contexts that victims of political violence are provided with the opportunity to articulate their narratives of suffering within the context of a public dialogic process. Using Northern Ireland as an illustrative case study, I outline a unique and original model for truth recovery in transitional contexts. I argue that in post-conflict societies victims of political violence should be enabled to engage in meaningful truth recovery through a Habermasian process of public democratic deliberation and communication that involves direct dialogue with perpetrators of political violence. This process – which I have labeled ‘communicative justice’- is framed within the context of the theory of communicative action of Jurgen Habermas. Communicative justice can help to ensure that legitimate truth recovery publicly acknowledges the trauma of victims and subjects perpetrator narratives of political violence to critical scrutiny and rational deconstruction.

Dr. Kirk Simpson joined the Transitional Justice Institute at the University of Ulster as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow in February 2006. He holds a BA (Hons) in Politics and Modern History from Queen's University Belfast (QUB); a PGCE (Politics); and a PhD, also from Queen's University Belfast. Kirk's current research at the Transitional Justice Institute University of Ulster involves work on transitional justice, “victim-hood” and conflict resolution. The aim of this research is to more fully understand the complex relationship between contested notions of political, social, and legal “justice” and lasting, durable peace in transitional societies amongst victims of political violence. He is examining the ways in which the communicative consensual model of conflict resolution and the definition of “truth” (factual, normative, truthful) offered by Jurgen Habermas can be applied in order to assist the transition from conflict to stable democracy, justice, and peace; and how this theory informs understandings of the relationship between justice and peace in transitional justice contexts in which political violence has created an unstable legal and political landscape.

The author would like to thank the RCUK for the support provided by the RCUK Academic Fellowship. The author would like to gratefully acknowledge the support and direction provided by Professor Fionnuala NíAoláin, Professor Christine Bell, and Professor Colm Campbell and to express particular gratitude for their detailed, insightful, and constructive comments and suggestions.