The power of culture
Hasini Haputhanthri, museologist and development consultant based in Colombo, demands from the transitional justice field to focus more on the cultural sphere, including arts, media and educational institutions. In her view, museums for example act as agents of cultural change. Hasini Haputhanthri is a museologist and development consultant based in Colombo. She speaks regularly on […]
Relationships of power
Martín Abregú, vice president for International Programs at the Ford Foundation, deals with the dynamics and interaction between global expertise and local knowledge in the context of transitional justice. With this in view, he calls on actors to listen and learn from each other. Martín Abregú is vice president for International Programs at the Ford […]
“The past is much more elaborate than peace agreements“
Aaron Weah, a transitional justice researcher based at University of Ulster, reflects on the transitional justice experience in Liberia and globally. He criticizes the process in Liberia mainly for the failure to address historical inequalities. Aaron Weah is a transitional justice researcher based at University of Ulster. He is investigating the impact of violent conflict […]
Help instigate processes, be a catalyst, not promise the sky
Pablo de Greiff, human rights scholar and activist, was the first UN Special Rapporteur on Transitional Justice. In the context of the racial justice campaigns that are currently taking place in the USA, he believes that the time has come for transitional justice to provide recognition in a way that people are clearly calling for. […]
Change of minds, change of behaviour
Anita Mitic, who was born as Yugoslavia broke out in civil war, describes in an interview what can be learned from former Yugoslavia in terms of transitional justice. What the transitional justice processes would have shown is the necessity to address behavioral norms and the powerful role of political elites. Anita Mitic, who was born […]
Looking beyond legalism
Emma Leslie, Executive Director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies in Cambodia, reflects in an interview on transitional justice processes in Cambodia. Instead of legalistic processes, she urges for people-centered approaches grounded in the Cambodian culture and system. Emma, originally from Australia, has lived in Cambodia for over two decades. In 2016 she […]
What future for transitional justice?
This blog series examines the field of transitional justice through a critical lens, asking challenging questions and exploring ways in which it is relevant today. Through a small number of carefully-selected interviews, the series intends to provoke debate within the field and help lead to innovation and adaptation. This blog series examines the field of […]
Von Kopf bis Fuß
Fußball ist auf der ganzen Welt ein beliebter Sport, doch das schöne Spiel hat auch eine hässliche Seite: antisemitische, rassistische, sexistische und homophobe Gesänge und Beschimpfungen in und außerhalb der Stadien. Der Verein Tüpfelhausen – das Familienportal e.V. in Leipzig hat eine ganz eigene Antwort auf das Erstarken von Rechtsextremismus und Antisemitismus entwickelt. Fußball ist […]
9th European History Forum
In May 2020 the 9th European History Forum took place as a fishbowl talk on the internet. The conference was dedicated to the topic “Hidden Memory? Women in the Second World War in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Role models, experiences of violence, taboos”. Impressions of 18.05.2020: Fishbowl – Women in World War II The […]
When wounds are passed on
This article explores the importance of collective trauma for conflict transformation by sharing practical examples from peace work in the post-civil war context in Lebanon. Violent conflicts can traumatise entire communities, leading to shared feelings of mistrust and fear, coupled with rigid narratives of victimhood and the silencing of guilt. These patterns can be passed […]
