Description
This paper examines the victim centred transitional justice approach of the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC-EP and compares the practitioner’s idea behind some of the transitional justice concepts and the local perception of those declared victims. The paper is based on extensive field research, including interviews with civilian victims, perpetrators, experts, and individuals working with victims and institutions. By amplifying the voices of those directly affected and providing insights from various stakeholders, this study offers a nuanced understanding of the perception of the transitional justice mechanisms in rural Norte de Santander. Oftentimes, there is a big gap in perception in what academia and policy makers or politicians think benefits certain parts of society in theory. Yet, the reality of what they need and want and how it is perceived often differs. Many of those interviewed did not see the benefits for themselves in those mechanisms that were created or criticised parts of it. Additionally, it is important to think about the beneficiaries of those mechanisms. When establishing those mechanisms, it is oftentimes thought about the wording victim in a very traditional sense. Yet, throughout the interviews it became clear that perpetrators are also victims and need transitional justice mechanisms just as much.
