How do truth commissions impact the citizens of the country where the conflict took place?
Truth commissions allow people to reflect on what happens when they choose violence to solve problems. Some people think that they can engage in violence to make policy without affecting lots of people in society. Truth commissions help us discover the true cost of political violence and to remember that violent policies tend to result in lots of unintended consequences. This violence may be far more severe than coup leaders, military officials, civilians or other policy makers anticipated or intended. It seems obvious, but very often this violence impacts the entire society for a long period of time.
