The Promise and Perils of Reparations – Lessons Learned from the Case of Sierra Leone

The paper explores the existing assumptions about the effects of reparations in theory and practice. Reparations are generally expected to not only communicate the official recognition of people’s suffering but also to improve victims’ economic situation and to communicate their right and eligibility to state support and therefore improve their status in society. Based on these assumptions the paper takes on a pragmatic perspective concerning the challenges practitioners, national and international alike, are facing in the process of designing and implementing a reparations program in a post-conflict setting. Insights from research on victims’ perception of the reparations program in Sierra Leone are presented arguing that reparations do not only run the risk of being ineffective but also of having a negative effect towards victims of war demonstrating the governments indifference concerning their plight and the persistence of abusive societal structures instead of victims’ rights and eligibility to support.