The Educational Recommendations of Truth and Reconciliation Commissions: Potential and Practice in Sierra Leone

Abstract

This article investigates the impact of the educational recommendations made by Sierra Leone's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (SLTRC) while exploring broader questions regarding the potential of truth commissions to contribute to post-conflict educational reconstruction and reform. The complex interrelationships between education and conflict in Sierra Leone's civil war are explored, as is the current situation of educational reconstruction in the country. Using data gathered during field research in Sierra Leone, the contribution of the SLTRC educational recommendations to identifying post-conflict educational needs and to the educational reconstruction process is assessed. While the article suggests that truth commissions present potential to contribute to post-conflict educational reconstruction, it also points to the limitations of this process in Sierra Leone.