Editorial Note

In order to be relevant and credible and to have sustained impact,transitional justice theory and practice must be guided by localneeds and local knowledge. While there is much to be celebratedin the creation of international justice mechanisms and thegrowing global consensus on accountability for human rightsabuses, the gains of such processes need to be assessed at thelocal level. Their contribution to meeting the needs of victimsof abuse and local communities and to national political developmentswill determine whether such mechanisms, theories and policyinnovations live up to the claims that have been made on theirbehalf. IJTJ provides a continuous engagement with these issues. The contribution of local authors in assessing the role of transitionaljustice processes is obviously a critical aspect of this endeavour.One important objective of the journal is to seek out localperspectives through articles     

Editorial Note

In the first issue of the International Journal of TransitionalJustice we invited specific authors to share their insightsregarding particular aspects of transitional justice. We soughtto provide a balance between different geographical foci, disciplinaryfields and points of view. From the initial feedback received,we succeeded in meeting our objectives. In this issue, we haveculled from an array of unsolicited submissions. We are delightedthat our call for papers has brought in an exciting range ofcontributions that demonstrate the array of challenges facedby the field and     

Editorial Note

Scholarly interest in the field of transitional justice is growingrapidly. At the March 2008 meeting of the International StudiesAssociation, a world-wide organization of some 4,000 membersfounded to promote research and education in international affairs,there were multiple panels on transitional justice with topicsthat ranged from evaluations of transitional justice mechanismsto the impact of the International Criminal Court, and fromculture and transitional justice to its psychological impact– and these were only in the sessions that were devotedspecifically to the field. Other sessions addressed preventionof genocide, conflict resolution and international law –all of which can be examined through the lens of transitionaljustice as well. As we have noted in earlier editorials, thechallenges and limitations of the field are discussed at meetingsof political