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Press Releases:January 31, 2008 Kenya: Stakeholders Must End Violence via Dialogue and Pursue Peace and JusticeFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK, January 31, 2008 - "The Kenyan government, opposition parties, and civil society organizations must engage in good faith dialogue to find an immediate end to the recent torrent of violence in the country", the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) said in a statement addressed to Kenyan stakeholders and released to the media today. The ICTJ urged all Kenyans in their search for long term solutions to acknowledge that peace could be achieved by confronting not only the present political crisis, but also Kenya's past episodes of repression and violence and its chronic structural inequities. "Transitional justice measures must now be part of the package for resolving the current crisis and avoiding its repetition," said Juan Mendéz, ICTJ's President and former Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide. The statement reminds Kenyan stakeholders of the best international standards for truth commissions. Click here for the link to the ICTJ's statement to Kenyan stakeholders. About the ICTJ The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved. In order to promote justice, peace, and reconciliation, government officials and nongovernmental advocates are likely to consider a variety of transitional justice approaches including both judicial and nonjudicial responses to human rights crimes. The ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive, and localized approaches to transitional justice comprising five key elements: prosecuting perpetrators, documenting and acknowledging violations through non-judicial means such as truth commissions, reforming abusive institutions, providing reparations to victims, and facilitating reconciliation processes. The Center is committed to building local capacity and generally strengthening the emerging field of transitional justice, and works closely with organizations and experts around the world to do so. By working in the field through local languages, the ICTJ provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis, documentation, and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking institutions, nongovernmental organizations, governments and others. To find out more about the Center's work around the world, please visit our website at www.ictj.org. For additional information, contact: Priscilla Hayner, Director, ICTJ Geneva and Program on Peace and Justice Suliman Baldo, Director, ICTJ Africa Program |
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