The Use of Evsys for Preparing a Human Rights Database for Presentation to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa

A range of organisations had previously worked on human rights abuses under apartheid, particularly through the 1980s, when detention without trial, assassinations, torture and disappearances were daily occurrences for the oppressed in South Africa. These organisations held a wealth of information in their files, which had been gained from the statements and affidavits of victims and their families, from court records, newspapers and reports. The advent of the TRC provided an opportunity for the organisations to provide their material to the TRC so that it could gain an accurate picture of human rights abuses. This paper describes the project which was set up for this purpose. The use of EVSYS for the project is outlined in detail and evaluative comments on the project as a whole are provided.

 

The Use of Evsys for Preparing a Human Rights Database for Presentation to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Lydia Levin

Lydia Levin is a former Truth and Reconciliation Commission Senior Researcher. She holds a B.A honours in Psychology from the University of South Africa.

Polly Dewhirst

Polly Dewhirst is a former Project Manager in the Transitional Justice Programme at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. She obtained her B.A history from the McGill University.

Brandon Hamber

Brandon Hamber is a former CSVR Programme Manager. He holds a PhD Psychology from The University of Ulster and BA (Hons) MA (Clin. Psych) Ph.D. Clinical Psychology from The University of the Witwatersrand.