One of the most well-known examples of this might be South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. South Africa had a system of racial segregation called apartheid. Like in the United States, Black people in South Africa were treated as inferior and faced discrimination and violence from White people. The truth commission was established in 1995 at the end of apartheid. The commission collected personal statements from 21,000 victims of gross human rights violations from South Africa’s government and police. The commission later compiled and published a seven-volume report into the abuses that happened under apartheid. It recommended reparation payments to victims. Reparations are financial compensation payments to victims of wrongdoings.

Other countries have had similar processes designed to right wrongs. For instance, in Canada, a truth commission was formed to address the treatment of Indigenous Canadians. The commission documented the history of physical and sexual abuse inflicted on thousands in a program of forced assimilation and education.

These findings led to a formal apology from the government. The government released a statement saying, “Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country.” The commission’s work also sparked reforms to the national education curriculum.

How do paragraphs 10-13 add to the authors' argument in this section?

SELECT AN ANSWER

They compare Indigenous people in Canada to Black Americans in the United States.

They explain why the United States needs to create a truth commission this year.

They give supporting examples of how truth commissions have worked for other countries.

They describe how a truth commission might work in the United States.