Epilogue: the cover and the future

Despite the well known idiom to not judge a book by its cover, the cover of the Protocol presented challenges: the brief given at the second roundtable was to try to represent and make visible the survivors’ interests and a caring practice of protection and investigation. In reality, this proved rather complicated, and cost us considerable time and effort. Here are some of the examples we considered:

With each of these images93, unintended associations might have been evoked: whilst the Teddy bear of image 1 certainly triggered an emotional response in the viewer, it could be perceived as shock advertising; image 2 is depicting the missing family but may not make the link to a mass grave evident; image 3 whilst liked for its artistic engagement with missingness risked evoking a geographical focus when the Protocol is designed to be universal; and image 4 was criticised for a lack of clarity in relation to the subject of mass graves and potential gender bias. In the end, we settled for one of the world’s most unremarkable and ubiquitous objects, the flip-flop in a unisex style, half-submerged in soil with rubber-gloved human hands offering attention to it, thus signifying human care and a grave. Given human history, many mass graves are still to be found and sadly, more are likely to be created. Their resolution and investigation will require the co-ordination and collaboration of a multitude of experts to implement early protection measures, facilitate, where possible, the investigation and exhumation of the grave for identification purposes and the return of human remains to family members. All this, in turn, must be overseen by relevant authorities, with due regard for the applicable law. Therefore, it is apt to conclude with a comment that stresses the bespoke mass grave management role or office that assumes overall responsibility for the operational management of mass graves, including adherence to standard operating procedures; maintenance of community liaison, health, safety and well-being on-site; implementation of reporting structures and communication strategy; and co-ordination of the identification and return of human remains process. Mass graves are incredibly complex features that require extensive practitioner engagement, resources and careful consideration of individual and societal needs. Only when they come together can rights to truth and justice be advanced.