Richard Goldstone on Confronting the Past
Richard J. Goldstone is a justice of the
Constitutional Court of South Africa, which has been trusted with the
task of interpreting the new South African Constitution and supervising
the country's transition into democracy. He is a member of the
international panel established in August 1997 by the government of
Argentina to monitor the inquiry into Nazi activity in the republic
since 1938. Currently, Goldstone is chairperson of the International
Independent Inquiry on Kosovo established in 1999; national president
of the National Institute of Crime Prevention and the Rehabilitation of
Offenders (NICRO); chairperson of the Bradlow Foundation, a charitable
educational trust; and head of the board of the Human Rights Institute
of South Africa (HURISA).
Before taking a seat on the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Goldstone served as chairperson of the Standing Commission of Inquiry Regarding Public Violence and Intimidation-later known as the Goldstone Commission. The Commission played a critical role in defusing the political violence that erupted when apartheid in South Africa began eroding in the late 1980s as the country moved toward its first democratic elections. From 1994 to 1996, Goldstone served as the chief prosecutor of the United Nations International War Crimes Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
Goldstone joined Facing History staff, supporters, teachers, and students at the 1999 Annual Memphis Area Program Benefit Dinner. In a panel discussion with students, Goldstone discussed his first-hand experience with the methods various countries have used to prosecute perpetrators of collective violence. Acknowledging that there are both distinctions and connections between histories, Kristen (a student) asked, "How do the questions about judgment that we consider as we study the Nuremberg trials connect to your experiences of judgment in South Africa and elsewhere?" In his response, Goldstone highlights the differences between the Nuremberg trials and South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission while underscoring that what is key in the aftermath of any instance of collective violence is to learn the truth. This way, the generations to come will know the facts of that history and will be that much closer to achieving their own reconciliation with the past. (Please note: The final paragraph, in italics, is the video clip transcription.)
Before taking a seat on the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Goldstone served as chairperson of the Standing Commission of Inquiry Regarding Public Violence and Intimidation-later known as the Goldstone Commission. The Commission played a critical role in defusing the political violence that erupted when apartheid in South Africa began eroding in the late 1980s as the country moved toward its first democratic elections. From 1994 to 1996, Goldstone served as the chief prosecutor of the United Nations International War Crimes Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
Goldstone joined Facing History staff, supporters, teachers, and students at the 1999 Annual Memphis Area Program Benefit Dinner. In a panel discussion with students, Goldstone discussed his first-hand experience with the methods various countries have used to prosecute perpetrators of collective violence. Acknowledging that there are both distinctions and connections between histories, Kristen (a student) asked, "How do the questions about judgment that we consider as we study the Nuremberg trials connect to your experiences of judgment in South Africa and elsewhere?" In his response, Goldstone highlights the differences between the Nuremberg trials and South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission while underscoring that what is key in the aftermath of any instance of collective violence is to learn the truth. This way, the generations to come will know the facts of that history and will be that much closer to achieving their own reconciliation with the past. (Please note: The final paragraph, in italics, is the video clip transcription.)
Transcript:
"The most important benefit to South Africa of
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is exactly like Margot
suggests, that we now have a common history of what happened during the
Apartheid Era. Without the truth coming out one gets different
histories and you get denials and you get revisionism. It was the main
value today, I believe, of the Nuremberg Trials. The Nuremberg Trials
recorded efficiently and painstakingly what happened during the
Nazi-period, including the Holocaust."
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Video length:
00 min 32 sec
Date filmed:
Jan 23 2001 
