Truth & reconciliation in South Africa, revisited
Scene in Elsie's River, one of the Cape Flats communities on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa
Healing deep social wounds takes time, even with active effort. South Africa's Truth & Reconciliation Commission was one such effort, allowing all South Africans to hear from victims and perpetrators, about what they'd done and what had been done to them during the apartheid era. Its open, honest, healing nature inspired other nations coming out of their own violent chapters to try similar processes. Twenty years later, South Africa's experience shows what's possible, and what's hard, in moving a divided society toward a unified future.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!