Work Packages
The main research question for TRUCOM is: How and in what ways will the Norwegian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) lay the foundations for truth and reconciliation between the Sami and the Kven/Norwegian Finns on the one hand, and the majority population on the other? This question will be answered trough three work packages
Working package (1) Origins of the Norwegian TRC (historical analyses and power dynamics
WP 1 will address the history, politics and processes prior to the TRC’s establishment. It will analyze the working conditions for and the organization of the TRC. Specifically, it will analyze the power dynamics involved in the establishment of the commission, selection of commission members and formulation of the mandate.
WP 1 will answer the following research questions:
- Why was the TRC established?
- Why was the TRC’s mandate formulated the way it was?
WP1 will be performed as en desk study in addition to semi structured intervjuews with key informants (politicians and employeed) at the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget), the Sami Parliament, and with representatives from Sami and Kven/Norwegian-Finn organisations.
Working package (2) The operations of the TRC (process tracking)
WP 2 focuses on the TRC’s operations, from the inception stage (2018) until it concludes its mission with a final report to the Norwegian Parliament (2022). This WP forms the core of the project and tries to answer three main questions:
- What are the expectations of the truth commission?
- How do various interest groups/stakeholders mobilize around issues addressed by the TRC, and how does this mobilization in turn influence the work of the TRC?
- How will the work/operations of the TRC enhance its stated main aim: “truth and reconciliation”?
The research questions in Work Package 2 are to be answered through surveys, participation at public hearings, semi-structured interviews with key informants, and by following media debates.
Working package (3) Findings and recommendations - Towards reconciliation?
WP 3 focuses on the final report of the TRC, scheduled for submission to the Norwegian parliament in September 2022. The project will analyze the links between the findings and the mandate, and the expectations/disappointments tied to the recommendations. To do this, we ask:
- What are the findings of the TRC’s final report and how is the report disseminated?
- How will the recommendations made by the TRC in its final report lay the foundations for “truth and reconciliation”?
A survey and semi-structured interview with key persons will be conducted to reveal the in what degree and in what manner the Commission's work is considered to be successful towards its mandate.