Between Restorative Justice and Reconciliation: Theoretical Reflections in Contexts of Political Violence

Abstract

Social sciences have contributed to understanding the conditions necessary to overcome political violence, as well as to the recognition of reconciliation as the most comprehensive approach to positive conflict resolution, as it allows addressing the roots of a conflict, improving relations between opposing parties, and establishing lasting structural commitments. The main objective of this article is to highlight how restorative justice is the most opportune way to achieve this reconciliation, as an important component of transitional justice, being key to creating a peaceful, stable, healthy post-conflict society between formerly warring groups and the community. Qualitative research has focused on exploring social and human phenomena in Latin American countries. In these countries, political violence has been a persistent problem, primarily in Argentina, using data collection methods such as interviews, observations, and document analysis to obtain a detailed understanding. A set of strategies merges among the results found, primarily aimed at rebuilding the social fabric, which includes various social and restorative practices. Their variability over the years reflects a society that takes time to heal its wounds, but also an active memory that drives a constant search, which includes new generations and never ceases, relentlessly pursuing a restructuring of that something—individual and social—that has been broken in the past.