Breaking the Cycles of Hatred: Memory, Law, and Repair

Description

Violence so often begets violence. Victims respond with revenge only to inspire seemingly endless cycles of retaliation. Conflicts between nations, between ethnic groups, between strangers, and between family members differ in so many ways and yet often share this dynamic. In this study, Martha Minow and others ask: what explains these cycles and what can break them??;p What lessons can we draw from one form of violence that might be relevant to others??;p Can legal responses to violence provide accountability but avoid escalating vengeance? If so, what kinds of legal institutions and practices can make a difference? What kinds risk failure??;p"Breaking the Cycles of Hatred" represents a blend of political and legal theory, one that focuses on the double-edged role of memory in fuelling cycles of hatred and maintaining justice and personal integrity. Its centerpiece comprises three penetrating essays by Minow. She argues that innovative legal institutions and practices, such as truth commissions and civil damage actions against groups that sponsor hate, often work better than more conventional criminal proceedings and sanctions. Minow also calls for more sustained attention to the underl

Martha Minow is Professor of Law at Harvard University. Her books include "Partners, Not Rivals, Between Vengeance and Forgiveness, Not Only for Myself, and Making All the Difference". She recently served on the Independent International Commission on Kosovo. Nancy L. Rosenblum is Professor of Government at Harvard University. She is the author of "Membership and Morals", editor of "Obligations of Citizenship and Demands of Faith", and coeditor of "Civil Society and Government" (all Princeton).

"For policy-makers responsible for reconstructing Iraq or seeking to follow a road map to peace in the Middle East as well as for lay people who care about international relations, this book offers needed reflection on the conditions necessary for resolution of intense and long-standing conflicts... Through a unique blend of legal and political theory and a fascinating variety of insights and connections, the authors of Breaking the Cycles of Hatred have produced a highly commendable set of essays that provide a thoughtful perspective for the events of our day. They merit reading and re-reading."--Annette Johnson, The New York Law Journal