TJ foster structural conditions for peace

(LENZEN 2009: 82)

Transitional justice can be thouht to be an essential buildin bloc! for
peacebuildin because if a societ" lea#es the leacies of $ass atrocities and
abuse unaddressed% or deals &ith the$ insufficientl"% sustainable peaceful coe'(istence $a"
re$ain elusi#e)2*
+s the ,N secretar"(eneral put the point: -.ur
e'perience in the past decade has de$onstrated clearl" that the consolidation
of peace in the i$$ediate postconflict period% as &ell as the $aintenance of
peace in the lon ter$% cannot be achie#ed unless the population is confident
that redress for rie#ances can be obtained throuh leiti$ate structures for
the peaceful settle$ent of disputes and the fair ad$inistration of justice)/22 0e
1reiff articulates the underl"in reasons appealin to the brea!do&n of trust
and ad#erse ter$s of reconition left in the &a!e of $ass atrocities)22
,lti$atel"% -dealin &ith the past/ has to be understood as a lon(ter$ process of societal
chane (3) 0ealin &ith the past is about chanin $ind(sets &ith reard to oneself and
the other 4 the t&o (or $ore) parts that ha#e been in conflict &ith one another% ha#e
souht to control% subject% or do$inate the other% and in the process ha#e dehu$ani5ed%
discri$inated% persecuted% tortured% and souht to destro" the other (and6or escape or
defend oneself in the face of such acts)) The chane in $ind(sets is presu$abl" a re7uisite
if such har$ is not to recur)
8hanin $ind(sets necessitates not onl" the abilit" to relate to the other% and to trust in
peaceful intentions% but also to (re)build confidence in the institutions that ha#e not been
able or &illin to pre#ent the #iolence and abuse in the first place) These institutions 4
defined as sets of nor$s and #alues 4 ha#e to be upheld% uaranteed% and pro$oted b" the
state) 9hen a state has abused its po&er% lost its po&er% or ne#er de#eloped the po&er to
pro#ide for the securit" and peace of all its citi5ens% then it &ill ha#e no 4 or lost all 4
confidence fro$ its citi5ens