Kursinformation

Recognizing and addressing past injustices has become a central  feature of contemporary international conflict resolution measures, particularly in countries that have overcome intrastate conflicts and authoritarian rule. Over the past decades, transitional justice (TJ) has emerged as an interdisciplinary  field of research and practice that aims to understand and implement a complex set of measures and objectives: from strengthening democratic and peacebuilding processes to national reconciliation. From an interdisciplinary perspective, 
in this seminar we will:
(1) Analyze international, national and local transitional justice actors and approaches.
(2) Analyze different TJ mechanisms such as judicial prosecution, truth commissions, compensation programs, and collective memory.
(3) Engage with normative and political debates raised by transitional justice processes.
(4) Evaluate the effects and effectiveness of transitional justice measures.
(5) Examine several cases in which TJ measures have been implemented to address past atrocities.
(6) Discuss policy and practice issues related to transitional justice. 

Focusing on both general theoretical issues and specific case studies, we consider a variety of questions related to transitional justice: What are the social and political legacies of experiences of violence and autocratic rule? What are the 
best ways to deal with the long-term consequences of violence? What impact does transitional justice have on democratization and reconciliation? What role does truth-telling play in the reconstruction of societies? Do societies have to 
choose between truth and justice? What role should traditional justice mechanisms play in transitional justice processes? What are the advantages and disadvantages of international versus national approaches?