A Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government or other entities. The TRC in South Africa was established by the new government in 1995 to help heal the country and bring about a reconciliation of its people by uncovering the truth about human rights violations that had occurred during the period of apartheid. Its emphasis was on gathering evidence and uncovering information from both victims and perpetrators, and not on prosecuting individuals for past crimes, which is how the commission mainly differed from the Nuremberg trials that prosecuted Nazis after World War II. The TRCs mandate covered gross human rights violations that were perpetrated during the period of the apartheid regime from 1960 to 1994, including abductions, killings, and torture. The TRC in South Africa was based on the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, No. 34 of 1995. The TRC in South Africa was chaired by Desmond Tutu and invited witnesses who were identified as victims of gross human rights violations to give statements about their experiences, and selected some for public hearings. Perpetrators of violence could also give testimony and request amnesty from both civil and criminal prosecution). The TRC in South Africa was effective in bringing out the truth about what had happened during the apartheid regime and in promoting reconciliation among the people). Truth commissions have been established in other countries as well, including Canada, Guatemala, Rwanda, and East Timor.