"Societies attempting to ignore atrocities committed in the conflict setting generally find themselves confronted by their persistence. Whether manifesting as unresolved grievance, as social dysfunctionality or an easy reversion to violence, or as a simple reiteration of old animosities, the eventual results are erosion and escalation. Victims of violational acts, especially, may feel as though the war has never ended, even after the formal peace has been declared. Dealing with the Past (DwP) comprises a suite of creative strategies for shifting this – measures that can provide victims with comfort, some satisfaction, and sometimes even repair; initiatives that tackle perpetrators and advance the rule of law; ways of overhauling legislation and reforming public institutions, and growing a culture of democratic governance; projects capable of generating a shared understanding of the abuses and the history in which they occurred; occasions for celebrating the life that remains, with all its learnings, among those who have survived. DwP is an approach to transformation that can, at best, enable sustainable transition out of entrenched patterns of violence and violation. Both an introduction to core concepts and comparative in its orientation, this toolkit is designed to address the practicalities – the nuts-and-bolts – of making DwP work." (p.2)