Just the other day during our debrief Jeff brought up a very interesting point about justice. He explained that justice is a relative concept and the way his Korean culture understands justice is very different from the typical Western understanding. We tie justice to truth, reconciliation, trial and punishment –concepts, which are embedded in the mainstream Western culture. If we look at justice from a Eastern point of view, justice takes on an absolute role, justice will be served, if not in this life, then in the next. There is no way one can avoid it.  Of course, I am generalizing quite a bit here, but it does make me wonder about the biases we go into the field with. Examining cultural and historical aspects of how a society perceives justice should be an important factor when constructing a long-term plan of action. Understanding this could provide us with the knowledge to change and adapt our own approach to justice in cultures such as Nepal, which is influenced not only by the West, but also by a multitude of cultures comprising and surrounding it. The West shouldn’t provide justice like a fast food restaurant provides food –one frozen recipe for all!

Is justice relative though? I remember when the war in Croatia was declared victoriously over. We finally got our statehood. However, Croatia had to extradite those who were involved in the military operation “Storm”, which liberated occupied territories in Croatia, to the Tribunal in Hague. To many in Croatia this act was viewed as highly unjust, to the point where a large number of the population was willing to give up EU membership to keep our national heroes from persecution. Many asked why are Croatians put to trial when we were not the aggressors. In this sense, I can see how justice for some is injustice for others.

Following this logic, the question that should be asked rather is who is seeking justice; is it the victims or outsiders who need to have a cause to maintain their employment?

Nepal is much more confusing when it comes to justice. We met with victims that demand justice, but their pleas continue to land on deaf ears. And we met with women human rights defenders who didn’t even mention justice as part of their work, but rather distributing appropriate monetary compensation to the victims. We received mixed messages (at least I have!) when it comes to justice in Nepal. The only thing that is clear to me is that there is no consensus as to what is the best way to go about it. Some think it’s a crucial step towards social recovery, while others are willing to forget about it for the “greater good”.

I must say, I was much happier before I knew how complicated “justice” can get.