Chapter 3 serves as a foundational discussion of democratic uncertainty , written by a political scientist specializing in democratization , Peter A . Ferguson . His conclusion that people determine their commitment to transitional justice based on how accessible democratic institutions become , aside from any initial political or socio-economic benefit , reveals the significance of these reliable democratic institutions for sustainable peace and development . This generalized trend noted in societies transitioning from authoritarian regimes is later validated by the Colombian case study on the language analysis of the peace agreement . This language analysis revealed the prevalence and expansive definition of “ victim ” and “ victimhood ” in the conflict . Though this is not directly related to greater democratic accessibility , expanding the definition of who is considered a victim , allows future citizens to claim certain protections and entitlements as victims even if their particular intersectional victimhood is not addressed explicitly today . Regardless of other economic and political factors affecting the execution of the peace agreement , this open-ended definition of victims within the armed conflict was meant to garner support from a greater portion of the population , that is , by giving those whose grievances were not redressed , an opportunity to establish their particular claims in the future . On the other hand , the Congolese case study qualifies the general benefits of structured uncertainty , as was the case in Ferguson ’ s analysis and in the Colombian peace agreement . Regardless of future prospects of justice or expanded civil rights , the DRC ’ s established economic dependence on the continuation of war necessitated greater initial financial incentives in the form of microcredits to promote demobilization . Even if the principles behind democratic uncertainty and other institutional preconditions may have been helpful in strengthening the DRC ’ s transition , its particular economic reality warranted a discussion of this more pressing issue and ameliorating factor . In general , the different chapters do not contradict each other , rather they highlight how scholars can investigate the efficacy of established
transitional justice procedures within these social , economic , and political factors . By using conflicts of different characteristics and regions , it allows scholars to continue the conversation of the ameliorating factors that were present or absent in other conflicts , possibly determining their effectiveness and the longevity of peace and reconciliation .
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