Transitional justice and peacebuilding [PTP.2013.07F]
With the increasing call for and formation of truth commissions, trials, and other justice mechanisms worldwide, the concept of ‘transitional justice’ has become widespread. Peacebuilding actors face immense challenges when assisting societies devastated by conflict or emerging from repressive rule to re-establish the rule of law and confront large-scale human rights violations. The United Nations has acquired significant experience in transitional justice in these contexts and has demonstrated that reconciliation and consolidation of peace in the long-term necessitates the establishment or re-establishment of an effective administrative and justice system founded on respect for the rule of law and the protection of human rights.
The goal of the course Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding is to present the concept of transitional justice in peacebuilding contexts, providing a holistic overview of current strategies and mechanisms, their nature and practical application, and the challenges and lessons learned associated to their implementation in post-conflict settings.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Define the broad concept of transitional justice and its role in peacebuilding contexts;
- Articulate the reasons for taking a holistic approach to transitional justice;
- List and discuss the different transitional justice mechanisms and strategies using practical case examples and broad theories;
- Relate transitional justice mechanisms to other peacebuilding activities; and
- Identify best practices, lessons learned and the way forward in transitional justice.
The course is composed of four modules that will be covered over one week:
- Module 1: Introduction to transitional justice
- Module 2: Taking a holistic approach to transitional justice
- Module 3: Transitional justice mechanisms and strategies
- Module 4: Linkages with other peacebuilding activities and way forward
The course covers the conceptual foundations of transitional justice, through presentations and a range of resource materials such as journal articles and UN documents. In order to create collective knowledge and to facilitate interaction and experience sharing among participants, discussions and interractive excersices are organized.
Primary audience
- Have a sound understanding of the structure and functioning of a peace operation;
- Have a university degree in a relevant area with proven interest in the specific topic covered by the course (BA or equivalent) or the equivalent working experience in a relevant field (2 to 4 years);
- Have good command of English language (reading and writing).
Participants will be selected and invited by UNITAR and the Rwanda Peace Academy.