Over the past decades, in many countries Truth Commissions have been created in the context of democratic transitions after authoritarian regimes, or peace agreements after civil wars or armed conflicts. Generally, they have been created as official bodies of inquiry to investigate mass violations of human rights and make recommendations concerning the prosecution of crimes, providing reparations for victims and proposing institutional and political reforms to prevent the recurrence of violence and human rights violations. The results and legacies of Truth Commissions have been mixed and often a matter of debate and criticism, inside and outside the countries in which they were created.  

From the experience of the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we will address some of these issues and discuss how a Truth Commission is created and how it organises its work; the role of social science and social scientists in such kinds of projects; and the impacts and legacies of their activities and results for their societies in the short and long term. We will present some of the characteristics of the Peruvian case and its internal armed conflict (1980-2000) and make comparisons with other cases of Truth Commissions around the world.

About the Speaker:

David Sulmont is a Sociologist and Political Scientist professor at the Department of Social Sciences of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Between 2001 and 2003 he worked for the Peruvian Truth Commission as head of the data analysis team and as a member of the editorial committee of the commission’s final report. Since then he has advised several human rights organisations and Truth Commissions on research design, methodology and data analysis. He has been a technical advisor for Truth Commissions in Morocco, Liberia, Togo, Solomon Islands, Kenya and Tunisia.