Dealing with emotions in peacemaking.

Source: (2011) n, Susanne Karstedt, et. al., eds, motions, crime and justice.Onati International Series in Law and Society. Oxford and Portland: Hart Publishing. Pp. 295-313.

This chapter is devoted to exploring another development of the shame-guilt-reintegration paradigm, namely its application to dealing with the emotions aroused by communal violence, which Braithwaite has called ‘restorative peacemaking’. Although in its infancy, restorative peacemaking has potential to become one of the most significant approaches to conflict resolution. It will be argued however, that this case offers a serious challenge to the shame-guilt-reintegration paradigm. This is in part because communal violence provokes a broader range of emotions than is normally discussed in criminal justice, and is complicated by the emotions aroused by peace itself. In addressing post-violence adjustments, the shame-guilt-reintegration paradigm also tends to focus too narrowly on restorative conferences and other shame-guilt management structures adopted from criminal justice settings, neglecting the broader public policy framework that facilitates successful peacemaking. IT will be argued that part of the reason for this is that the paradigm is heavily influenced by human rights and governance discourses that neglect a range of other policy issues. (excerpt)