Genocides demonstrate the worst of humanity manifest and created difficult pasts for future generations to contend with. What societies choose to remember is one of the most crucial choices made in the aftermath of mass atrocities. Looking to the Khmer Rouge regime and genocide from 1975-1979, the role of transitional justice and civil society is pioneering new ways to educate and remember the genocidal past. Recently, memory and education relation to memory have been an emphasized part of transitional justice processes including prioritization set by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) which was established in 2003 after much negotiation. The hybrid tribunal allocated significant funding and staffing towards outreach, education and survivor participation opportunities as a means to address and contend with the Khmer Rouge genocide. The following study centers the experiences of those on the frontlines of the work being done at the intersections of transitional justice (ECCC), civil society and education. The research features 25 in-depth interviews with key informants combined with a complementary document analysis. The key informants represent leaders in Cambodian scholarship, the tribunal process, education, NGO and civil society memory and peace work. The findings show many relevant lessons learned in relation to outreach programs, victim-centered transitional justice, culturally competent modes of reconciliation and education, participant centered archiving, the benefits of using performing arts and the function of moral and symbolic reparations in the Cambodian context.

Keywords: Cambodia, Reconciliation, Transitional Justice, Peace Studies, Memory Studies, Genocide, Peace Education, Civil Society