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The Uses of the Historical Method in Conflicted Societies Through the Work of Historical Clarification Commissions (HCC) As State-Sponsored Bodies of Inquiry

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The Uses of the Historical Method in Conflicted Societies Through the Work of Historical Clarification Commissions (HCC) As State-Sponsored Bodies of Inquiry The Uses of the Historical Method in Conflicted Societies: Understanding Historical Clarification Commissions Cira Pallí-Asperó, B.A., MSc. Transitional Justice Institute, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Ulster University Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy February 2020 I confirm that the word count of this thesis is less than 100,000 A l’ àvia, qui em va ensenyar que, amb esforç, constància i dedicació, puc aconseguir tot el que em proposi. To my Nanna, who taught me that, with effort, perseverance and dedication, I could achieve anything. 5 Table of Contents Table of Figures............................................................................................................... 9 Note on Access to Contents ......................................................................................... 11 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................ 13 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 15 List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 1.- Introduction ........................................................................................... 19 1.4.- Overview of the Argument .............................................................................. 24 1.5.- Thesis Outlined ................................................................................................. 25 Chapter 2: A Hermeneutical Approach to the Research ........................................... 29 2.1.- Introduction ...................................................................................................... 29 2.2.- General Overview of Hermeneutics ................................................................ 30 2.3.- Process of Interpretation ................................................................................. 31 2.3.1.- Object of interpretation: the text ................................................................ 32 2.3.2.- Subject: the interpreter ................................................................................ 33 2.3.3.- Achieving an Objective Understanding ........................................................ 35 2.4.- Applied Hermeneutics ..................................................................................... 36 2.5.- Research Design ............................................................................................... 42 2.5.1.- Database ........................................................................................................ 42 2.5.2.- Illustrative Case Study: Historical Memory Group in Colombia ................. 45 2.6.- Data Collection ................................................................................................. 47 2.6.1.- Document analysis ........................................................................................ 47 2.6.2.- Semi-Structured Interviews .......................................................................... 51 2.6.2.1.-Considerations for Translation ................................................................... 53 2.7.- Data Analysis .................................................................................................... 54 2.7.1.- Content Analysis............................................................................................ 54 2.7.2.- Interpretative Phenomenology Analysis ...................................................... 55 2.7.3.- Interview Analysis ......................................................................................... 56 2.8.- Concluding Remarks......................................................................................... 58 Chapter 3: History and the Politics of the Past ......................................................... 61 3.1.- Introduction ...................................................................................................... 61 3.2.- History: The Past and The Present .................................................................. 61 3.2.1.- The Functions of History within Society ...................................................... 63 6 3.2.2.- History in the Political Realm ....................................................................... 65 3.2.3.- Historical Clarification .................................................................................. 66 3.3.- The Politics of the Past .................................................................................... 68 3.3.1.- The Production of Historical Knowledge ..................................................... 72 3.3.2.- The State’s Influence on Historical Research .............................................. 74 3.3.2.1.- The Practice of the Historian .................................................................... 75 3.3.2.1.1- Oral History: Testimonies as a Research Resource ............................... 77 3.3.2.1.2- Historiographic Revisionism ................................................................... 77 3.3.3. State’s Mechanisms to Address the Legacy of the Past .............................. 84 3.3.3.1.- History in the Courtroom .......................................................................... 86 3.3.3.2.- History within Quasi-judicial Mechanisms ............................................... 88 3.3.3.3.- Commissioned History .............................................................................. 88 3.3.3.4.- Other Bodies of Inquiry ............................................................................. 93 3.5.- Concluding Remarks ........................................................................................ 95 Chapter 4:Historical Dialogue as Theoretical Framework .......................................... 97 4.1.- Introduction ..................................................................................................... 97 4.2.- Historical Dialogue ........................................................................................... 98 4.2.1.- The Uses of History through Historical Dialogue ...................................... 101 4.2.2.- Reconciliation through Historical Dialogue ............................................... 105 4.2.3.- Historical Narratives in Historical Dialogue ............................................... 110 4.3.- The Institutionalisation of Historical Dialogue ............................................. 113 4.3.1.- A Normative and Discursive Approach to HCC ......................................... 114 4.3.2.- What Defines a Successful Institution? ..................................................... 120 4.4.- Concluding remarks ....................................................................................... 122 Chapter 5: Mapping Historical Clarification Commissions ....................................... 127 5.1.- Introduction ................................................................................................... 127 5.2.- Understanding Historical Clarification Commissions ................................... 128 5.2.1.- Historical Clarification Commissions’ Methods of Practice ...................... 128 5.3.- Mapping Historical Clarification Commissions ............................................. 131 5.3.1.- Diplomatic Commissions ............................................................................ 135 5.3.2.- Historical Commissions Established after Post-Authoritarian Regimes .. 140 5.3.2.1- Post-Nazism Commissions ....................................................................... 141 5.3.2.2- Post-Soviet Commissions ......................................................................... 146 7 5.3.3.- Historical Clarification Commissions in Conflicted Societies .................... 150 5.3.4.- Redressing Historical Injustices .................................................................. 150 5.4.- Critical Evaluation: Challenges ...................................................................... 156 5.5.- Concluding Remarks....................................................................................... 165 Chapter 6: Illustrative Case Study:The Historical Memory Group ........................... 167 6.1.- Introduction .................................................................................................... 167 6.2.- Conflict Background ....................................................................................... 167 6.3.- Political Context ............................................................................................. 170 6.4.- Colombian State-Sponsored Commissioned History ................................... 177 6.5.- The Historical Memory Group ....................................................................... 178 6.5.1.- Understanding the Historical Memory Group ........................................... 179 6.5.2.- The Establishment of the Historical Memory Group ................................ 181 6.5.3.- Investigating an Ongoing Conflict .............................................................. 183 6.5.4.- Functions ..................................................................................................... 185 6.5.5.- Historical Memory Group’s Methodological Strategy .............................. 187 6.5.5.1.- Historical Memory Group’s Objectives ................................................... 187 6.5.5.2.- Historical
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