The TRUCOM project was concluded on October 1, 2024. The project researched how the Norwegian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Commission to Investigate the Policy of Norwegianization and Injustice towards the Sami, Kvens, and Norwegian Finns, which was established to investigate the state's policy of Norwegianization of the Sami, Kvens/Norwegian Finns (and later included Forest Finns), interpreted and implemented its mandate, as well as how this is reflected in the commission's final report. The Norwegian Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established by the Storting in June 2018 and presented its final report in June 2023.
The TRUCOM project had a three-part approach: 1) examining the background for the establishment of the commission, its mandate, and composition, 2) studying the commission's organization and administration, choice of procedures, methods, and the execution of its work, and 3) finally analyzing the commission's report and recommendations.
Data, in the form of documents and daily media monitoring, interviews with representatives from organizations and institutions that have been in contact with the commission during its work, and five surveys primarily involving the majority population, were collected throughout the project period. In the project's final phase, the commission's final report was analyzed with regard to the choices the commission made in light of its mandate, how the commission understood injustice and reconciliation, which choices the commission made regarding perspectives on the policy of Norwegianization, and how this is reflected in the commission's proposed measures.
During the project period, four peer-reviewed articles were published, two in Norwegian and two in English. Additionally, six peer-reviewed articles are under publication, two in Norwegian and four in English. Thematically, these articles cover topics including the formal endpoint of the policy of Norwegianization, media coverage, public engagement related to the commission's work and report, research ethics in managing people's stories about experiences with the policy of Norwegianization, the role of civil society in the commission's work, the Nordic commissions as a result of traveling models, and as a new model for truth commissions. Additionally, there is an article that takes a broader look at the commission's report.
The project has had extensive dissemination in the form of about seventy lectures, op-eds, and interviews with the media. In October 2023, the project organized an international research conference titled: Truth and Reconciliation processes in stable Democratic States - who, how, and what happens after? The conference was a collaboration with the Canadian embassy, with contributors from Canada, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. TRUCOM has also presented preliminary research findings in two webinars. In the spring of 2022, TRUCOM granted a master's scholarship, and the master's thesis has been completed.
The research group consisted of members from UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the Chr. Michelsen Institute, who collectively had broad research expertise on Sami and Kven/Norwegian Finnish issues, and on truth commissions internationally. The project's reference group consisted of members from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.
TRUCOM-prosjektet var inispirert av Stortingets ønske om følgeforskning knyttet til Sannhets- og forsoningskommisjonens mandat. Prosjektets karakter, hvor forskningskunnskap ble utviklet samtidig som kommisjonen arbeidet, inviterte til å prioritere publisering av vitenskapelige artikler underveis i arbeidet, istedenfor en avsluttende bok. Prosjektet vil til sammen ha ti fagfellevurderte artikler. At seks av artiklene er på engelsk, gjør at forskningfunn i TRUCOM inngår i den internasjonale fagdebatten om sannhetskommisjoner i etablerte demokratier, mens de norskspråklige artiklene inngår i den nasjonale diskursen, og slik sett gjør forskningsresultater mer tilgjengelig for de som var målgruppene i kommisjonens mandat og arbeid. Et ønske om å nå ut til dette publikummet, gjorde at foredrag, bruk av media og populærvitenskapelig formidling har vært prioritert i hele prosjektperioden. Prosjektet har derfor også jobbet for å øke kunnskapen i offentligheten. Et håndfast eksempel på dette er at kronikken "Vi trenger etiske retningslinjer for forskning på materialet til Sannhets- og forsoningskommisjonen" fra 2023 har resultert i en uttalelse fra NESH av 14.10.2024 om Sannhets- og forsoningskommisjonens arkiv.
In 2017 the Norwegian parliament established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to investigate centuries of repressive state policies towards the Indigenous Sami and Kven/Norwegian Finns minority. TRUCOM will research how and in what ways the Norwegian TRC will 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. Introductorily the history, politics and processes prior to the TRC’s establishment will be addressed in a desk study. Simultaneously drawing on truth commission experiences from elsewhere in the world, the follow-up research will provide in-depth analysis by tracking the processes as they unfolds. This is the core of TRUCOM, and includes research on expectations to the TRC, who mobilizes around issues addressed by the TRC and how do various stakeholders influence the TRC’ work. Finally, the TRC’ findings and recommendations forwarded in the final report by analyzing the link between the TRC’ mandate, the TRC’ final report and the project’ findings, amongst other how important issues were handled by the TRC and whether the recommendations align with the mandate.
Theoretically, TRUCOM will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the work of truth commissions in established democracies. It will contribute theoretically to debates on the relationship between the state - indigenous people - minority, and debates on the significance of TRCs for indigenous and minority rights. Methodologically, the project employs novel ways to assess a TRC process by combining observations through participation at hearings, interviews, and surveys of central stakeholders at regular intervals. Empirically, the project will establish a knowledge foundation on pathways of reconciliation between majority, indigenous people and minority groups in established democracies with welfare states.
