Rebuilding Fractured Societies: Reconstruction, Reconciliation and the Changing Nature of Violence – Some Self-Critical Insights from Post-Apartheid South Africa

Based primarily on the South African experience, this discussion paper will attempt to offer a broad analysis of some of the key challenges faced by societies emerging from intense conflict, or making the often painful transition from autocratic rule to democracy. In so doing, it will reflect self-critically on some of the challenges of transformation, reconciliation, democratisation and – in particular – on the changing character of conflict and violence in a society such as South Africa in the post-apartheid era.