抄録
Will "truth" help "peace"? Inspired by this question, this article examines from an anthropological perspective an accountability institution in Sierra Leone, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The institution was established in a country just emerging from the atrocities of an eleven-year war. While such a mechanism for dealing with the past becomes increasingly popular in the international community, this article attempts to address the gap between the anticipated outcomes of the TRC and the actual impact which the TRC has had upon people and society. The methodology is a conceptual and contextual analysis of the institution, with reference not only to academic literature but also to findings from fieldwork. It scrutinizes the problematic links between truth-telling and healing, and between truth-finding and reconciliation. As a whole, this article aims to be an innovative anthropological study by addressing complex issues that have often been neglected in preceding literature on accountability institutions.
