Assess and compare the design, implementation, and outcomes of transitional justice mechanisms in South Africa (TRC), Rwanda (gacaca, ICTR), and Cambodia (Khmer Rouge Tribunal and local initiatives). Analyze their effects on state-building and reconciliation by linking mechanisms to indicators such as rule of law, institutional reform, accountability, reparations, social cohesion, and legitimacy; evaluate the role of political context, timing, and international involvement, cite empirical evidence for divergent outcomes, and derive two policy lessons for designing effective transitional justice in post-conflict states.