Centering Survivors in Local Transitional Justice

Abstract

Scholarship on local transitional justice efforts has proliferated over the past two decades. This article summarizes and synthesizes this growing body of work. It begins by addressing the conceptualization of the local, which to date has been loosely and ambiguously defined. Rather than viewing the local as a spatial level or as based on tradition, the review suggests that transitional justice approaches are local to the extent that (a) survivors have agency and power and (b) their experiences and outcomes are prioritized. Taking this conceptualization seriously, the review examines how local transitional justice varies in terms of ownership and implementation, forms and mechanisms, and effects on survivors, ending with additional suggestions for future research.