Religion, tradition, and restorative justice in Sierra Leone / Lyn S. Graybill.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Graybill, Lyn S., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sierra Leone. Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Sierra Leone.

Reconciliation--Political aspects.

Reconciliation.

Restorative justice.

Reparations for historical injustices.

Transitional justice.

Religion and politics.

Religion.

History.

Sierra Leone--Religion--History--20th century.

Religion and politics--Sierra Leone.

Transitional justice--Sierra Leone.

Reparations for historical injustices--Sierra Leone.

Restorative justice--Sierra Leone.

Reconciliation--Political aspects--Sierra Leone.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xv, 307 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Notre Dame, Indiana : University of Notre Dame Press, [2017]

Summary:

In this groundbreaking study of post-conflict Sierra Leone, Lyn Graybill examines the ways in which both religion and local tradition supported restorative justice initiatives such as the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and village-level Fambul Tok ceremonies. Through her interviews with Christian and Muslim leaders of the Inter-Religious Council, Graybill uncovers a rich trove of perspectives about the meaning of reconciliation, the role of acknowledgment, and the significance of forgiveness. Through an abundance of polling data and her review of traditional practices among the various ethnic groups, Graybill also shows that these perspectives of religious leaders did not at all conflict with the opinions of the local population, whose preferences for restorative justice over retributive justice were compatible with traditional values that prioritized reconciliation over punishment. These local sentiments, however, were at odds with the international community's preference for retributive justice, as embodied in the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which ran concurrently with the TRC. Graybill warns that with the dominance of the International Criminal Court in Africa--there are currently eighteen pending cases in eight countries--local preferences may continue to be sidelined in favor of prosecutions. She argues that the international community is risking the loss of its most valuable assets in post-conflict peacebuilding by pushing aside religious and traditional values of reconciliation in favor of Western legal norms.

Contents:

Postwar transitional justice

Role of the inter-religious council

The Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Women and transitional justice

Popular views of the TRC and the special court

Perceptions of religious leaders

Traditional reconciliation practices

Unfinished business

The instrument

Interviews of religious leaders.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Graybill, Lyn S., author. Religion, tradition, and restorative justice in Sierra Leone.

ISBN:

9780268101893

0268101892

OCLC:

962244449