Truth and reconciliation in Southeast Asia and the Melanesian Pacific: Potential Canadian contributions and potential lessons for Canada1
| Date | 01 March 2017 |
| Author | David Webster |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020702017695215 |
| Published date | 01 March 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Policy Briefs |
International Journal
2017, Vol. 72(1) 120–130
!The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0020702017695215
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Policy Brief
Truth and reconciliation
in Southeast Asia and
the Melanesian Pacific:
Potential Canadian
contributions and
potential lessons
for Canada
1
David Webster
Bishop’s University, Canada
Abstract
Recent experiences with truth and reconciliation processes in Southeast Asia and the
Southwest Pacific suggest that there is a role for historical research and memory in
helping to build sustainable peace and stability in new nations—and conversely, that
ignoring violent pasts undermines peacebuilding efforts. Two truth commissions have
operated in this region, in Timor-Leste (East Timor) and Solomon Islands. There are
also calls for truth and reconciliation processes in Indonesia at the national and local
levels, including in (West) Papua. As the only Western developed country to have held a
full truth commission, Canada could play a powerful role in promoting and supporting
mutual dialogue on the implementation of truth and reconciliation outside its borders.
We can derive both potential lessons and recommendations for Canadian action to
promote truth and reconciliation processes from the cases of Indonesia, Solomon
Islands, and Timor-Leste.
Keywords
Truth commissions, reconciliation, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Papua, Solomon Islands,
Canadian foreign policy, civil society, peacebuilding
1. This work draws on research presented at a workshop on Memory, Truth and Reconciliation in
Southeast Asia and Melanesia held at the University of Ottawa in October 2015 and on subsequent
participant research papers developed in 2016. The workshop gathered academics and advocates
from Canada, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Solomon Islands, as well as the United States and
Australia, to examine truth and reconciliation processes and plans in Indonesia, Timor-Leste,
and Solomon Islands.
Corresponding author:
David Webster, Bishop’s University, 2600 College, Sherbrooke, QC, J1M 1Z7, Canada.
Email: dwebster@ubishops.ca
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