181 results

For Sri Lanka to Break Cycle of Impunity Promises Need to Be Kept

Sri Lanka may be undertaking a change of course towards accountability for atrocities committed during its 26-year civil war.

10/26/15
In Focus

Young Activists in Bosnia Discuss Transitional Justice and Media at the Site of a Former Camp

For the last three years, a group of young activists gather on the night of the 5th of August at the site of Trnopolje camp, out in the open, to reenact the way prisoners spent their night and through dialogue explore alternative ways of dealing with the past.

08/06/15
In Focus

Twenty Years Since Srebrenica: No Reconciliation, We’re Still at War

Bosnia and Herzegovina is marking the twentieth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. In this Op-Ed, ICTJ's Refik Hodzic asks, can we constructively talk about reconciliation in a country still gripped by war?

06/29/15
In Focus

Forty Years after Cambodian Genocide, A New Documentary Celebrates the Music that Lived On

The new film "Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll" explains the events of 1960s and 70s through the eyes of the musicians and artists who ushered in a new era of sound, only to be silenced too soon. As the world commemorates the 40th anniversary of the genocide in Cambodia, the new documentary presents the untold story of how their music managed to survive.

04/15/15
In Focus

Overlooked and Invisible: The Women of Enforced Disappearances

70-94% of the victims of enforced disappearances are men. But what happens to the women left behind? ICTJ's Amrita Kapur explains why women are uniquely impacted by the crime, and how transitional justice can help.

04/14/15
In Focus

More than prayers, Pope Francis’ actions can help reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ahead of Pope Francis' visit to Bosnia Herzegovina, ICTJ's Communications Director, Refik Hodzic, asks the leader of the Catholic Church to actively contribute to "a genuine reckoning needed for a genuine peace" in a society still stuck in the past, even 20 years after the war.

02/17/15
In Focus

Documentary Film ‘Remember Me’ shows Effects of Disappearances in Bosnia and Herzegovina

A new short documentary film “Remember Me” tells a powerful story of two young women whose fathers were disappeared during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

12/09/14
In Focus

ICTJ Program Report: Truth and Memory

In this edition of the ICTJ Program Report, ICTJ Senior Associate Felix Reátegui discusses the principles behind the Truth and Memory program, and explains the imperatives of uncovering, acknowledging, and memorializing the past.

09/18/14
In Focus

After Guilty Verdicts in Khmer Rouge Tribunal, Broader Struggle for Accountability Continues in Cambodia

On August 7, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) found two senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, guilty of crimes against humanity. For many victims who have been waiting for 35 years, the judgment still felt like bittersweet justice.

08/21/14
In Focus

Continuing Abuses Threaten Myanmar’s Transition to Democracy and Peace, Says ICTJ Report

Continuing political repression, cronyism, and ongoing conflicts are disrupting attempts to put Myanmar on a linear path to democracy, peace, and development, says a new report from the ICTJ. According to the report, titled “Navigating Paths to Justice in Myanmar’s Transition,” dealing with current and historical abuses is essential to achieving genuine progress on peacebuilding and economic development in the country.

07/21/14
Press Releases

Navigating Paths to Justice in Myanmar's Transition

This report asserts that dealing with past abuses in Myanmar is essential to achieving genuine progress on peacebuilding and economic development in the country. Conflict and high levels of political repression have racked Myanmar for more than half a century. Both President Thein Sei...

by

Patrick Pierce and Caitlin Reiger

Report

Truth and Consequences

The recent re-election of Colombia’s president, Juan Manuel Santos, brings hope to a country seeking to end a half-century of conflict. But, as with so many peace processes, finding a balance between creating a stable accord and acknowledging the terrible injustices that occurred during the conflict can be difficult to achieve.

07/11/14
In Focus

ICTJ Program Report: Nepal

During Nepal's armed conflict, more than 13,000 people were killed and 1,300 forcibly disappeared. Today, a new government has voted to create a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as a Commission of Inquiry on the Disappearance of Persons. Many victims have protested the flaws in the proposals; meanwhile, no comprehensive reparations have been provided for those left most vulnerable by conflict. In this interview with ICTJ's Santosh Sigdel, we discuss developments related to ICTJ's work in Nepal.

07/01/14
In Focus

Kofi Annan Foundation and ICTJ Call for Contextualized Approaches to Peace Processes

Truth commissions can make important contributions to peace processes if all parties can agree on common objectives and there is genuine local political will to shed light on past events. This is the key finding of a new study – titled “Challenging the Conventional: Can Truth Commissions Strengthen Peace Processes?” – to be released on 19 June 2014 by ICTJ and the Kofi Annan Foundation.

06/18/14
Press Releases

Challenging the Conventional: Can Truth Commissions Strengthen Peace Processes?

This joint report by ICTJ and the Kofi Annan Foundation explores common assumptions about why truth commissions are created in the wake of armed conflict and what factors make them more likely to succeed – or fail. It arises from a high-level symposium hosted by the two organizations ...

Report

Let the Victims Speak: A Voice from Peru on the Commissions on Truth and Disappearances

Seven and a half years after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Nepal's Parliament voted to establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a Commission of Investigation on Disappeared Persons. In this op-ed, ICTJ's Eduardo González Cueva explains why many victims have rejected the bill.

05/21/14
In Focus

ICTJ Urges Nepal to Amend Flawed Bill on Truth Seeking

As Nepal’s Parliament discussed key proposal to establish truth-seeking bodies, the ICTJ expresses deep concern that the bill retains flaws already rejected by the country’s Supreme Court in January.

04/21/14
Press Releases

Transitional Justice Should Be Part of Serbia’s Accession to the EU

In this op-ed, ICTJ President David Tolbert argues that in order to meet the EU’s high standards on the rule of law and human rights, Serbia must address the legacy of its recent past in which Slobodan Milosevic’s regime and the institutions under its control were involved in some of the most notorious crimes committed in Europe since World War II.

04/03/14
In Focus

Transitional Justice and Women’s Rights: Four Countries to Watch This Year

To mark International Women’s Day, we invite you to read about four countries at the top of our gender justice priorities in the coming year, each with its own history, context, and complex sets of challenges.

03/05/14
In Focus

Thomas Buergenthal Reflects on a Life Inspired by Moral Resistance, Dedicated to Justice

In December, ICTJ partnered with NYU School of Law and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice to host Auschwitz survivor and Judge Thomas Buergenthal for the 7th Annual Emilio Mignone Lecture on Transitional Justice.

02/07/14
In Focus

Transitional Justice, Culture, and Society: Beyond Outreach

Transitional justice processes have a fundamental public dimension: their impact depends in part on the social support they receive. Beyond outreach programs, other initiatives, such as media and cultural interventions, can strengthen—or in some cases undermine—the public resonance of...

by

Clara Ramírez-Barat

ICTJ Forum Series: Truth Commissions and Peace Mediation

Can truth commissions help secure a just peace following a violent conflict in which massive human rights abuses are committed? In this special series of the ICTJ Forum, we present a series of conversations with some of the world’s top peace mediators and truth commission experts, whose collective experience include years on the front lines of critical peace agreements in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

11/22/13
In Focus

To Build Peace, Seek Truth About the Past

Dating back to the 1980s, when peace settlements were made across Latin America, truth commissions have become an important component of peace negotiations. In this opinion piece, ICTJ President David Tolbert calls for societies to give truth commissions a chance of fulfilling their potential by learning from their failures and success.

11/20/13
In Focus

Nepal: Rethinking Transitional Justice Post Elections

In this opinion piece, Lucia Withers argues that Nepal's elected parties and their representatives should not limit their discussions to the establishment of a truth commission or whether it will provide for amnesties and/or prosecutions. Rather, they should focus on designing policies that are more comprehensive and that would better serve the rights and needs of conflict victims and contribute to broader peace-building efforts.

11/18/13
In Focus

Experts Discuss Truth Commissions Emerging from Peace Agreements at Symposium Organized by ICTJ and the Kofi Annan Foundation

More truth commissions are being created now through peace agreements than at any other time in history. But are they living up to high expectations for truth, accountability, and reconciliation in societies emerging from violent conflicts? This week, the Kofi Annan Foundation and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) held a three-day, high-level symposium to explore the challenges and benefits of truth commissions emerging from peace processes.

11/15/13
Press Releases

A Global Call for Victims’ Rights to Be Upheld in Prijedor, Bosnia and Herzegovina

A group of leading world experts on truth-seeking and memorialization has called for the mayor of Prijedor, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to publicly acknowledge and memorialize the non-Serb victims of atrocities committed in the city in the early 1990s.

10/08/13
In Focus

A Global Call for Victims’ Rights to Be Upheld in Prijedor, Bosnia and Herzegovina

A group of leading world experts on truth-seeking and memorialization has called for the mayor of Prijedor, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to publicly acknowledge and memorialize the non-Serb victims of atrocities committed in the city in the early 1990s.

10/08/13
Press Releases

ICTJ Forum: 'The Act of Killing,' Peru, and the Philippines

In this edition of the ICTJ Forum, ICTJ Communications Director Refik Hodzic discusses transitional justice in the news with Truth and Memory Program Director Eduardo Gonzalez and Reparative Justice Program Director Ruben Carranza. They look at the meaning and impact of the explosive new documentary “The Act of Killing," discuss the 10-year anniversary of Peru's truth and reconciliation commission, and peace talks in the Philippines.

08/19/13
Podcasts

5 Reasons We Use Multimedia

ICTJ is launching a new multimedia page featuring projects that highlight the human perspective of issues in transitional justice and seek to engage a wide variety of audiences in a discussion on accountability for massive human rights abuses. Here's why we think multimedia can play a key role in deepening public understanding of transitional justice, and convey the guiding principles of ICTJ.

08/06/13
In Focus

Bosnia and Herzegovina: In Historic Act, Youth Activists Bridge Ethnic Divide to Honor Victims of All Ethnicities

In an unprecedented act of unity, youth activists from across Bosnia and Herzegovina united to visit sites of former detention camps and pay respect to victims from all ethnic groups and sides of the conflict. Some 50 activists of the initiative “Because It Matters” from Prijedor, Banja Luka, Mostar, Tuzla, Sarajevo, Ljubuski, Gradiska, Konjic and other cities visited locations in Hadzici, Celebici, Jablanica, and Dretelj, where crimes were committed against civilians of Bosniak, Serb, and Croat ethnicities.

04/29/13
In Focus

Why Seek the Truth About the Past? A Global Conversation

In our work providing assistance to societies around the world, we draw continual inspiration from individuals and communities who refuse to ignore the abuses of the past, and who often face great obstacles to expose it. To honor their courage, we invite you to read a selection of perspectives on truth and dignity from those who have used their words to convey a powerful idea: truth is the foundation of justice.

03/22/13
In Focus

Truth is the Foundation of Justice: ICTJ Launches Global Campaign for International Day for the Right to the Truth

This year, ICTJ's campaign for the International Day for the Right to the Truth centers around the theme, “Truth is the Foundation of Justice.” This notion, fundamental to the idea of a comprehensive approach to justice, is explored through several new releases from ICTJ.

03/22/13
In Focus

ICTJ: Right to the Truth Day Reminds Us ‘Truth Is the Foundation of Justice’

March 21, 2013, New York, NY- The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) is launching a global awareness campaign for the International Day for the Right to the Truth, March 24, to affirm the right of victims to know the truth about human rights violations. Under the slogan, “Truth is the foundation of justice,” ICTJ’s campaign will highlight the important role that truth commissions can play in societies dealing with a legacy of violence and repression.

03/21/13
Press Releases

Truth Seeking: Elements of Creating an Effective Truth Commission

This publication provides an overview of the essential best practices guiding the main aspects of a truth commission, answering basic questions relating to its goals, powers, operations, framework, protections for commissioners and witnesses, and reporting. Its intention is to provide...

by

ICTJ

Report

ICTJ: The People of the Solomon Islands Have the Right to Know the Truth

ICTJ calls on the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands to make the report of the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission public without delay. Almost one year since the TRC handed its final report to the prime minister, it has still not been publicly released, contrary to the law that established the commission.

02/15/13
Press Releases

ICTJ Forum: January 2013

The latest episode of ICTJ Forum features ICTJ's Marcie Mersky, who joins host and Communications Director Refik Hodzic for an in-depth analysis of news in Guatemala and Nepal, and looks ahead to the next year of transitional justice developments around the world.

01/22/13
Podcasts

Duty to Answer

As attested by the arrest on January 3, 2013 in the United Kingdom of Kumar Lama, a Nepali Army Colonel suspected of torture, the government of Nepal’s failure to pursue truth and accountability for conflict-era violations can have serious consequences. Rather than resisting UK efforts to implement its obligations under international law, the Nepali government should develop a full transitional justice programme and redouble its efforts to provide truth, justice and reparations inside the country.

01/14/13
In Focus

ICTJ Year in Review Podcast with David Tolbert

ICTJ President David Tolbert looks back on transitional justice developments over the span of 2012, talks about the impact of ICTJ's work, and looks ahead to transitional justice developments to come. [Download](/sites/default/files/Tolbert_ICTJ_Podcast_12202012.mp3) | Duration: 30:19mins | File size: 17,760 KB

12/20/12
Podcasts

Seeking Options for the Right to the Truth in Nepal

Six years after the conflict ended, the government of Nepal has failed to initiate a comprehensive investigation into the past. As a result, it has failed to uphold the rights of victims and Nepali society to know the truth about abuses. Inaction is particularly cruel regarding the relatives of the disappeared, for whom lack of information on the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones equates to permanent anguish and extreme suffering.

12/18/12
In Focus

Are We Still Committed To Human Rights For All?

The United Nations has proclaimed December 10 as International Human Rights Day. The date commemorates the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which represented the reaction of the international community to the horrors of the Second World War. Today is a day for reflection more than celebration. A cursory scan of events from the last few weeks has thrown up examples that demonstrate that the belief in human rights for all - in treating all states the same - is more of a tissue-thin membrane than a robust bulwark.

12/10/12
In Focus

Seeking Options for the Right to Truth in Nepal

This briefing paper sets out the obligations of the state and international best practice with respect to the right to truth, both as a key element of a transitional justice strategy and as a critical component of providing effective remedy to victims of gross violations of human righ...

by

Eduardo González Cueva

Briefing Paper

ICTJ Program Report: Africa

The latest ICTJ Program Report presents ICTJ’s work in Africa. In a deeply insightful interview, Suliman Baldo, director of ICTJ’s Africa program and one of the world’s leading experts on transitional justice in Africa, discusses transitional justice processes in Ivory Coast, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.

12/04/12
In Focus

Fourth Intensive Course on Truth Commissions: Facing the Truth in Times of Transition

The Fourth Intensive Course on Truth Commissions, presented by ICTJ in partnership with the Barcelona International Peace Resource Center (BIPRC), focuses this year on the challenge of recognizing the experiences of vulnerable populations in the work of truth commissions. Practitioners and academics representing 17 countries will participate in the week-long course, including members of the Brazilian and Ivorian Truth Commissions, the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare TRC Process, and ICTJ experts from around the world.

09/24/12
In Focus

ICTJ Forum: Analysis of World Events From a Transitional Justice Perspective

In the first ICTJ Forum, transitional justice experts discuss the upcoming peace negotiations between the Colombian government and leftist FARC rebels, the UN Security Council debate on accountability for crimes against children, the proposed ordinance on a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Nepal, and the first report to the UN Human Rights Council by the recently appointed Special Rapporteur on transitional justice.

09/17/12
Podcasts

Forced Disappearances Are Crimes Against Humanity That Can’t Be Justified

Forced disappearance is a crime against humanity. The decisions made by politicians and officials authorizing such practices in different countries cannot be justified legally or morally. They must be held to account and be shown for what they are: enemies of a civilized society.

09/04/12
In Focus

Justice for the Disappeared is at the Heart of Transitional Justice

As the world marks August 30, the International Day of the Disappeared, we are reminded that forced disappearances and transitional justice share a common history. Indeed, processes working in concert that came to form the field of transitional justice were born from the search for truth and justice about the disappeared.

08/28/12
In Focus

UN Special Rapporteur Delivers First Annual Report

On August 9, 2012, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation, and nonrecurrence Pablo de Greiff presented the first annual report to the Human Rights Council. The report provides an overview of key activities undertaken by the Special Rapporteur between May 1 and July 25, reviews the foundations of the mandate and outlines the strategy for its implementation.

08/27/12
In Focus

The CAVR and the 2006 Displacement Crisis in Timor-Leste: Reflections on Truth-Telling, Dialogue, and Durable Solutions

This paper considers the efforts of Timor-Leste’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation to address the forced displacement that occurred during the period of Indonesian occupation and in the post-Popular Consultation violence of 1999. It examines linkages between the wor...

by

Luiz Vieira

Research Case Study

ICTJ Program Report: Interview with Paul Seils

The ICTJ Program Report is a new online feature that presents ICTJ’s work and impact around the globe. Through monthly in-depth interviews with our experts, the ICTJ Program Report will offer a view of ICTJ’s work on reparations, criminal justice, truth and memory and other transitional justice developments in countries where we work. To launch the series, we speak with Paul Seils, ICTJ's vice president and the head of our Program Office.

08/01/12
In Focus

Transitional Justice and Displacement

In collaboration with the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, ICTJ’s Research Unit examined how transitional justice can be used to address the range of injustices associated with displacement and thereby serve as part of a comprehensive approach to the resolution of displ...

by

ICTJ and Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement

Research Paper / Report