Running Head: GOING BEYOND TRUTH Going Beyond Truth in Reconciliation

Twose Gabriel (M.A., Clark University), gtwose@clarku.edu

Many truth commissions assume that publicizing a history of violence aids reconciliation. This research hypothesizes that violent truths must be told in a certain context to encourage the acceptance of reconciliatory values. Study 1 shows that exposure to violent narratives publicized at South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) decreased students’ acceptance of reconciliatory values, but placing the narratives in the context of the healing purpose of the TRC ameliorated negative effects. Study 2 finds that among South Africans, more understanding of the healing purpose of the TRC was associated with greater endorsement of reconciliatory values, particularly among black respondents.

Keywords: Truth Commissions, Reconciliation, Conflict Resolution, Forgiveness, Common Humanity