The call and the need for reparations grows out of some of the worst abuses humans have inflicted upon one another. In the aftermath of past atrocities, societies often grapple to understand their identity. They routinely struggle to reconcile their contemporary moral standing with their past actions. Pressure from internal and external groups often force governments to publicly denounce past injustices and mistreatment to establish or sustain political legitimacy. Pursuing this brings them squarely into the world of reconciliation and redress. In less than a century, countries on every continent have confronted this issue. Their approaches and outcomes have varied just as widely but lessons from their experience should guide ongoing and future efforts to achieve success.