Abstract
Conflict damages relationships and violent conflict does so in a brutal manner, leaving behind traumatized victims with a sense of injustice. Human beings have an inbuilt desire for justice in the face of harm or injustice perpetuated as a result of conflict or violence. Justice seeks to right the wrongs committed. However, justice need not be retributive but can be restorative as well. Restorative justice is preferable to retributive justice when it works toward sustainable peace and reconciliation. Restorative justice aims to restore the relationships that get damaged during conflict. It is generally believed that restorative justice deals with minor crimes committed at the community level but can it address mass atrocities and collective violence? Can it deliver justice, repair fractured societies, facilitate reconciliation and help build peace in a post-conflict scenario? What are the problems, risks and challenges involved in doing so? Can restorative justice facilitate the process of bringing about reconciliation in India? If yes, how? This chapter explores these and other related issues through several brief case studies.
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Kaushikee (2017). Justice and Reconciliation in the Aftermath of Mass Atrocities and Collective Violence: The Restorative Justice Lens. In: Thilagaraj, R., Liu, J. (eds) Restorative Justice in India. Springer Series on Asian Criminology and Criminal Justice Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47659-9_10
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