Never-Ending Story? Contesting Memory and Accountability in Turbulent Times

Transitional justice mechanisms have become underlying features in transitions from both authoritarian regimes and violent conflicts within the context of the international liberal order that emerged after the end of the Cold War. Indeed, consolidated democracies have increasingly addressed historical injustices and past systematic and gross human rights abuses through processes of accountability, memorialisation, and reparations. From Argentina and Chile to Germany, Rwanda, Australia, and Canada, countries have addressed past human rights violations through various mechanisms, including trials, truth commissions, restorative measures, and reconciliation processes. However, in the current context of democratic backsliding and illiberal politics, certain groups and actors have been increasingly contesting the legitimacy of the discourses and policies behind these initiatives, primarily based on ideological cleavages and party lines. Narratives of past violence and human rights violations are being reinterpreted and questioned by nativistic and revisionist actors. While there is extensive research on transitions, the literature on groups increasingly challenging transitional justice discourses and practices remains fragmentary and limited. Accordingly, this paper transcends the peace or/and/versus justice debates to examine the nuances of local realities and power dynamics in the contestation of (re)interpretations of trauma, violence, memory, and accountability. By analysing examples from Africa, Europe, and Latin America, the paper explores the complexities of framing policies and discourses related to historical legacies and how and to what extent the context-specific development of political strategies shapes the evolution of transitional justice experiences.