Reparations are widely regarded as a key element of dealing with the past in transitional justice. Over the past three decades, there has been a plethora of state practice, jurisprudence, and international norms requiring states and other responsible actors to redress victims’ harm. Yet in practice there remain significant deficiencies in delivering reparations on the ground to those affected. This article explores what victims and their civil society allies do to manage their suffering in the absence of or delay to reparations. Drawing upon fieldwork in seven societies transitioning from conflict, we suggest that victims find their own way to live with the past as they await reparations, through ‘self-repair’ measures or through ‘informal repair’ provided by non-governmental organizations. This alternative perspective aims to shed light on victims’ agency and resilience, as well as to critique notions of state dependence that a needs and rights discourse often encourages with victims. We also argue that victims’ self-repair strategies and informal pathways can complement more formal measures, and be conducive to victims making the most of state-based reparation programmes.

中文翻译：

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寻找一种与过去共存的方式：“自我修复”、“非正式修复”和过渡司法中的赔偿

赔偿被广泛认为是在过渡时期司法中处理过去的一个关键因素。在过去的三十年里，有大量的国家实践、判例和国际规范要求国家和其他负责任的行为者纠正受害者的伤害。然而在实践中，在向受影响者提供实地赔偿方面仍然存在重大缺陷。本文探讨了在没有或延迟获得赔偿的情况下，受害者及其公民社会盟友如何处理他们的痛苦。根据在七个从冲突中过渡的社会的实地调查，我们建议受害者在等待赔偿时通过“自我修复”措施或通过非政府组织提供的“非正式修复”，找到自己的方式与过去共存。这种替代视角旨在阐明受害者的能动性和复原力，并批判需求和权利话语通常鼓励与受害者进行的国家依赖观念。我们还认为，受害者的自我修复策略和非正式途径可以补充更正式的措施，并有利于受害者充分利用国家赔偿计划。