The International Center for Transitional Justice and the Barcelona International Peace Resource Center (BIPRC) are pleased to announce the 6th Intensive Course on Truth Commissions, focused on a practical approach about the challenges in the design and implementation of a truth commission and, this year, exploring its intersections with peace processes. This course will be held on September 28- October 3, 2014 at Casa Sant Felip Neri in Barcelona, Spain.
About the Course
Truth commissions—official, nonjudicial inquiries into human rights violations—have become a centerpiece of processes of transition to democracy and peacebuilding, after violent conflict and dictatorship. International peacemakers, donors, human rights advocates, government officials are now routinely involved in truth commissions being created around the world, often as part of peace talks in the agenda of negotiations and final agreements.
The course will give practitioners directly involved in human rights, mediation, peacebuilding, rule of law, and transitional justice with the basic tools to assess the propriety of creating a truth commission in the aftermath of serious human rights violations and ensuring that the design and implementation of truth commissions are sensitive to contextual realities. The course will provide participants with the knowledge required to conceive, implement, and engage with truth commissions, in accordance with best practices and comparative experience.
The 2014 edition of the course will focus especially on truth commission established during peace processes.
The topics of discussions include: What is the place of truth-seeking in transitional justice? What is a truth commission, and what can be expected from it? What roles can truth-seeking play after serious human rights violations? How to design the mandate and structure a truth commission? How to ensure a commission works independently, competently, and in an inclusive manner? How did commissions created by peace agreements worked in the past? What are the main assumptions behind their establishment? What challenges can they expect, and what responses are necessary?
The program is targeted at mid-career and senior staff at multilateral agencies, governments, NGOs, foundations, and universities. Practitioners directly involved in countries considering the establishment of truth-seeking mechanisms or similar efforts are especially encouraged to apply.
Apply
More information about the course, including the course application, can be found here. Applications will be accepted until August 17.
Photo: Participants at the 5th Intensive Course on Truth Commissions
