144 results

After Collapse of ICC’s Ruto and Sang Case, Kenya Must Prioritize Reparations and National Prosecutions

In this editorial, Christopher Gitari argues that as the ICC case against Ruto and Sang comes to a halt, our focus must shift to other forms of justice in Kenya - including reparations for victims.

04/22/16
In Focus

What is the Role of Truth Commissions in Peace Processes in Africa?

The African Union, the Kofi Annan Foundation and ICTJ opened a high-level conference examining the role of truth commissions in peace processes. The two-day conference, titled “Truth Commissions and Peace Processes in Africa,” has gathered senior staff from the African Union and member states as well as international and national experts to reflect on lessons learned from truth commissions that have emerged from peace processes in Africa and other continents.
04/18/16
In Focus

ICTJ Condemns Egypt’s Continued Crackdown Against Human Rights Activists

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) condemns in the strongest terms the Egyptian government’s crackdown against human rights activists and calls on it to halt its ongoing investigation of independent human rights organizations in relation to the legitimate exercise of their activities and to close Case No. 173 (the “NGO foreign funding” case) once and for all.

03/28/16
Press Releases

Truth is the First Step Towards Peace

As we search for ways to halt the violence and foster lasting peace in societies grappling with a legacy of massive human rights abuse, there is arguably no more important day to reflect upon the importance of the struggle for truth and justice than today, March 24. Thus, we take a moment to mark the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims.

03/24/16
In Focus

Without Addressing Women’s Security, We Can’t Hope for Equality

On International Women's Day, ICTJ Gender Justice Senior Associate Amrita Kapur highlights how insecurity affects women and is key to overcoming inequality across all dimensions of empowerment. "Without including institutional reform, we are condemning women to another century of inequality," she writes in this op-ed.

03/08/16
In Focus

Kenyan Victims Demand National Assembly Adopt TJRC Report and Implement Recommendations

After years of waiting for the government to take action by implementing the recommendations of Kenya’s Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission, victims of past human rights violations and mass violence are demanding that something be done.

12/04/15
In Focus

History Lessons Help Kenyan Youth See Their Role in Building a Thriving Democracy

Young people in Kenya now have a new tool to help them learn about difficult periods in Kenyan history and discuss justice, democracy, leadership, and their role as Kenyan citizens.
11/20/15
Press Releases

Learning From Our Past: An Exploration of Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation in Kenya

This educational tool for educators and mentors is designed to help teach young people in Kenya about difficult periods in Kenyan history and foster discussion on issues of justice, democracy, leadership, and their role as Kenyan citizens.

by

Karen Murphy, Dylan Wray, and Clara Ramírez-Barat

Report

For Social Change to Take Root, Children Must be Involved in Truth-seeking

Children are particularly affected by conflict and mass atrocities and have a unique perspective on how those events impact their communities. This makes their participation in transitional justice processes essential for countries to genuinely make a break with the past and successfully address legacies of mass violence.
11/18/15
In Focus

ICTJ Calls for Immediate Release of Egyptian Activist Hossam Bahgat

ICTJ finds the arrest of Hossam Bahgat, one of Egypt’s leading human rights activists, an ominous sign of the country’s continuous slide into oppression under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

11/09/15
Press Releases

State Repression and Polarized Politics Thwart Hopes for Justice in Egypt

After toppling Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorship in February 2011, Egyptians were eager for a reckoning with past injustices. But after years of political turmoil, the possibility of a genuine transitional justice process in Egypt is uncertain. We turned to three leading Egyptian activists to examine if there really is a chance for justice and reform in Egypt in the near future.

09/28/15
In Focus

What does "civic engagement" mean for you? Interview with Kenyan Youth Leader Carine Umutoniwase

ICTJ talked to Kenyan youth leader Carine Umutoniwase to know how learning from a violent past inspires youth in countries recovering from conflict and repression to avoid past mistakes and to come up with solutions that contribute towards a more just and accountable society.

08/12/15
In Focus

Youth Working for Justice: Key Agents of Change

On International Youth Day, ICTJ reaffirms the importance of engaging youth in efforts to reckon with the past in societies grappling with repressive and violent histories.

08/12/15
In Focus

For All Kenyans to Be Equal, Kenyatta Must Move Beyond Words on Justice

In this op-ed, ICTJ's President David Tolbert urges President Uhuru Kenyatta and Kenyan institutions to take concrete actions without further delay to provide reparations for victims, tackle the struggling police vetting reform, and prosecute the serious crimes that were committed during the post-election violence.

08/05/15
In Focus

In Kenya, Organizing Women Victims to Help Inform Future Reparations Policies

As Kenya moves closer to a climate where comprehensive reparations for victims of post-election violence are possible, ICTJ is supporting women victims of sexual violence to ensure that their needs are reflected in any program of restitution.

06/09/15
In Focus

Kenyatta’s Apology Breaks Important Ground, Now Comprehensive Action Is Needed

In this op/ed, the head of ICTJ's Kenya Program, Christopher Gitari, argues that President Kenyatta's recent apology to victims—though commendable—must be supported by solid reforms and initiatives for rebuilding the lives of those who have suffered the most.

05/26/15
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

From Force to Service: Engaging Kenyans in Police Reform

A new documentary produced by ICTJ highlights the need to reform Kenya's police force, and stresses the vital role civil society plays in conducting a thorough vetting process and the establishment of public trust in security forces.

01/29/15
In Focus

Ending Violence Against Women: Why Security Institutions Matter

ICTJ joins the global observations of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the start of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.” On this day, we recognize the ongoing efforts to protect women from violence in different parts of the world.
11/25/14
In Focus

ICC’s Intolerance of Impunity Does Not Make It an Enemy of Peace

ICTJ Vice President Paul Seils writes that the ICC cannot endorse impunity measures any more than others committed to the defense of human rights and the struggle for peace and justice.

11/17/14
In Focus

ICTJ Program Report: Kenya

Kenya continues to deal with the repercussions of violence stemming from its disputed 2007 presidential elections, when political protests and targeted ethnic violence rocked the country, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. Head of our Kenya office Chris Gitari gives an update on how Kenya is moving forward, and explains ICTJ's work in the country.

11/03/14
In Focus

Egypt: Dissolution Ultimatum for Independent Groups

ICTJ joins other international and national human rights groups from across the global calling for Egypt to protect the independence of non-governmental organizations.

08/30/14
Press Releases

Making Justice a Reality Where It Counts

In this op-ed, ICTJ Vice President Paul Seils argues that the front line of justice must always be national courts and justice systems. "Citizens must see social institutions at work in their home countries, as it is there that courts can repudiate wrongdoing and reaffirm the most fundamental elements of the contract that binds a society together. It is there that having the dignity of a citizen can have its fullest meaning," writes Seils on International Justice Day.

07/18/14
In Focus

ICTJ Study Shows Government Inaction on Sexual Violence Committed During Kenya’s 2007 Electoral Crisis

A new study from the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) shows that the Kenyan government has not effectively addressed the harms suffered by victims of sexual crimes committed during the violence that followed Kenya's disputed 2007 elections or ensured the accountability of perpetrators.
06/16/14
Press Releases

The Accountability Gap on Sexual Violence in Kenya: Reforms and Initiatives Since the Post-Election Crisis

This briefing paper reviews the Kenyan government’s response to sexual and gender-based violence committed against women, men, and children during the 2007/2008 post-election crisis. It draws on interviews with over 40 survivors about their experience and analyzes the laws and transit...

Briefing Paper

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

At Doha Forum, ICTJ President David Tolbert Addresses Hard Truth of Transitions in the Arab World

Three years after the so-called the “Arab Spring,” the post-revolution era has so far been marked by a mix of hope and hardships. At the 8th Al Jazeera Forum, ICTJ President David Tolbert explains what went wrong.

06/05/14
In Focus

ICTJ to Take Part in Eighth Al Jazeera Forum: “Change in the Arab World: Where To?”

ICTJ President David Tolbert will be a featured speaker at this year’s Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, Qatar. Al Jazeera Forum is the flagship event of Al Jazeera Media Network, at which Al Jazeera showcases its contribution to the world of media and politics.

05/21/14
In Focus

Kenya TJRC Final Report Deserves Serious Analysis and Action

One year after its release, ICTJ presents a critical overview of the Final Report of Kenya’s Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission in a new study released today. The ICTJ study argues that, despite the controversies that surrounded the commission during its tenure, the Final Report should be read and treated with seriousness by those who support human rights and the rule of law in Kenya.

05/19/14
Press Releases

Lessons to Be Learned: An Analysis of the Final Report of Kenya’s Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission

This paper analyzes the contents of the Final Report that the Kenyan Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta on May 21, 2013, after four years of investigations. In particular, it evaluates the report’s information and findings, the lo...

by

Christopher Gitari Ndungú

Briefing Paper

ICTJ Expresses Deep Concern Over Egypt Death Sentences

ICTJ has expressed deep concern over the criminal proceedings that resulted in the imposition of death sentences on 529 supporters of former President Mohamed Morsi in Egypt on Monday. The verdict, announced by a criminal court in Minya, came after a trial that lasted less than an hour, according to news reports.

03/27/14
Press Releases

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

ICTJ Mourns the Death of Guatemalan Supreme Court Justice Cesar Barrientos

ICTJ is deeply saddened by the death of Guatemalan Supreme Court Justice Doctor Cesar Barrientos Pellecer, this past March 2. Guatemala has lost one of its greatest crusaders against impunity in the country.

03/05/14
In Focus

ICTJ and Center for Global Affairs to Host Conversation on Africa and the International Criminal Court

Join ICTJ and the Center for Global Affairs for a conversation on how the ICC and the African Union can move forward, and what the AU position means for effective prosecutions within Africa and elsewhere.

02/24/14
In Focus

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

ICTJ to Kenya’s High Court: Uphold Victims’ Rights to Truth, Justice

In a legal brief submitted yesterday to Kenya’s High Court, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) warns that striking down parts of the final report of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission of Kenya (TJRC) would amount to censorship and obstruct the right of victims to an effective remedy for past violations.

10/03/13
Press Releases

ICTJ Program Report: Children and Youth

Children and youth are especially vulnerable to the effects of conflict and gross human rights violations. In this edition of the ICTJ Program Report, ICTJ's Children and Youth Program Director Virginie Ladisch talks with us about the importance of integrating child and youth sensitivity into transitional justice mechanisms.

08/09/13
In Focus

ICTJ Forum: Analysis of Ongoing Developments in Egypt and Colombia

In this edition of the ICTJ Forum, ICTJ's Paul Seils and Mohamed Abdel Dayem join Refik Hodzic for a discussion on the political turmoil in Egypt and the ongoing peace process in Colombia.

07/31/13
Podcasts

Opening New Chapters in Latin America with Truth Commissions

The one-day forum “Latin American Experiences with Truth Commissions,” organized by the International Center for Transitional Justice in Bogotá on July 22, brought together leading experts to discuss experiences and lessons learned from truth-seeking processes that shed light on massive human rights violations in four countries: Argentina, Guatemala, Paraguay, and Peru.

07/31/13
In Focus

Integrity of Kenya’s Truth Commission Report Must Be Restored

In a new op-ed, ICTJ Vice President Paul Seils argues that Kenya’s Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) should have been the shining light that led the way in restoring trust and confidence in office holders, institutions and government. Instead, its final report is mired in pointless controversy. Now, Kenya has a key opportunity to address allegations that the president's office interfered with the report's findings.

06/10/13
In Focus

ICTJ Welcomes Kenya's TJRC Report

The International Center for Transitional Justice ICTJ welcomes the release of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) Report, which is the result of an official truth-seeking process undertaken by Kenya following the 2007/2008 post-election violence. The report shares the TJRC’s findings on gross violations of human rights, economic crimes, illegal acquisition of public land, marginalization of communities, and ethnic violence between 1963 and 2008.

05/24/13
Press Releases

ICTJ Program Report: Reparative Justice

Reparations seek to recognize and address the harms suffered by victims of systematic human rights violations. ICTJ’s Reparative Justice program provides knowledge and comparative experience on reparations to victims' groups, civil society and policymakers worldwide. In this edition of the ICTJ Program Report, we look at ICTJ's work on reparations in dynamic transitional contexts such as Nepal, Colombia, Peru, DRC, and Uganda.

05/13/13
In Focus

In Negotiation of Women’s Rights after Revolution, MENA Activists Take Lessons from Tunisia

An ICTJ immersion course brought together women from Egypt, Yemen, Syria, and Libya to closely observe Tunisia’s emerging experience in transitional justice, including the ways in which issues of gender-based violence and the experiences of women are being addressed.

05/07/13
In Focus

Closing Kenya’s Impunity Gap: Legal and Institutional Frameworks for Trying Serious Crimes in Kenya’s Courts

ICTJ released a briefing paper today examining current opportunities for prosecuting serious crimes within Kenya’s national judicial system, including crimes committed during the postelection violence of late 2007 and early 2008 (PEV), which claimed 1,113 lives and displaced an estimated 660,000 people. Titled “Prosecuting International and Other Serious Crimes in Kenya,” the paper looks at legal and institutional reforms that may be needed at the national level to effectively investigate and prosecute the worst crimes of the PEV period, including murder, serious assault, and rape.

04/30/13
In Focus

Prosecuting International and Other Serious Crimes in Kenya

This briefing paper focuses on the topic of prosecuting international and other serious crimes in Kenya, including crimes committed in the context of the postelection crisis of late 2007 and early 2008. In particular, it identifies and analyzes obstacles and opportunities for such pro...

by

ICTJ

Briefing Paper

ICTJ to Take Part in Seventh Al Jazeera Forum: “Arab World in Transition: Opportunities and Challenges”

ICTJ’s president David Tolbert will be one of the featured speakers at this year’s Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, Qatar, which aims to explore the complex transformation of the socio-political and media landscapes of the Middle East and North Africa.

03/12/13
In Focus

ICTJ Forum: March 2013

The latest episode of the ICTJ forum features analysis of significant transitional justice news, including breaking developments in Kenya, Tunisia, and Syria. ICTJ Vice President Paul Seils and Truth and Memory program Director Eduardo Gonzalez join Communications Director Refik Hodzic for this expert discussion. [Download](/sites/default/files//ICTJ-Forum-March-2013.mp3) | Duration: 31:42mins | File size: 22,290 KB

03/06/13
Podcasts

ICTJ Program Report: Gender Justice

In this edition of ICTJ's Program report, Kelli Muddell, director of ICTJ's Gender Justice program, reflects on ICTJ’s vision of gender justice, the challenges facing survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in times of transition, and how ICTJ is working to address inequality in countries like Colombia, Nepal, and Tunisia.

02/21/13
In Focus

African Union Must Act to Address Impunity for International Crimes

In a major effort to promote accountability for serious crimes in Africa, ICTJ joined hundreds of human rights groups and transitional justice partners to ask the African Union to prioritize justice. Addressed to the new African Union (AU) Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the letter warns that strained relationships between the AU and the International Criminal Court (ICC) may put justice at risk.

01/18/13
In Focus