1450 results

Japan’s Apology to South Korea Shows What Public Apologies Should (Not) Do

In this op-ed, ICTJ President David Tolbert argues that Japan's recent, controversial apology to South Korean "comfort women" falls short of international standards.

01/29/16
In Focus

What Makes a Public Apology Meaningful? ICTJ Report Explores Apologies for Past Abuses

What makes a public apology for human rights abuses meaningful? How best can a public apology recognize the dignity of victims, while paving the way for a more just and peaceful future? According to a new report released today by ICTJ, the best apologies clearly acknowledge responsibility for the violations, recognize the continuing pain of survivors and victims’ families, and are linked with efforts to compensate and assist victims materially and through other justice measures.

01/28/16
Press Releases

More Than Words: Apologies as a Form of Reparation

Official public apologies are an important element of a transitional justice policy. As a form of symbolic reparation, an apology is a formal, solemn and, in most cases, public acknowledgement that human rights violations were committed in the past, that they caused serious and often ...

Report

Lebanon: ICTJ Study Shows Viability of a National Commission to Uncover Fate of the Missing and Disappeared

Twenty-five years after the end of the Lebanese Civil War, the families of the missing and forcibly disappeared in Lebanon are still waiting for answers about the fate of their loved ones. A new report by the International Center for Transitional Justice says the country seems to be ready to address this issue through an independent national commission and lays out the features of a successful future commission.

01/26/16
Press Releases

The Missing in Lebanon: Inputs on the Establishment of the Independent National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared in Lebanon

This study provides expert financial and operational analysis and information to help facilitate the establishment of an Independent National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared in Lebanon, as envisaged in a draft consolidated bill now before the Lebanese Parliament. ...

Report

As ICC Holds Key Hearing in Ongwen Case, LRA Victims in Uganda Need More Than Prosecutions

Ugandan victims of the LRA have waited over a decade to see the group’s leadership held accountable for crimes committed during the armed conflict with Uganda’s government. They saw it happen last week, when former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen appeared in court for an important hearing at the International Criminal Court.

01/26/16
In Focus

Launch of ICTJ and UNICEF's Report Begins Spotlight on Education and Transitional Justice

In the coming months, after launching a joint report on education and transitional justice with UNICEF, ICTJ will present an array of content on this important topic.

01/12/16
In Focus

Participants of ICTJ’s Intensive Course in Barcelona Reflect: “An Incredible Experience of Learning and Sharing”

For seven years, ICTJ has partnered with the Barcelona International Peace Resource Center to provide an intensive course on truth commissions for practitioners and policymakers from around the world. The course aims to provide participants with practical knowledge that they could bring back and apply in their home countries.

12/18/15
In Focus

UN Human Rights Chief Sees Hope amid Challenges in Fight against Impunity

On December 8, ICTJ and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University hosted UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein for the 8th Annual Emilio Mignone Lecture on Transitional Justice.

12/18/15

ICTJ Welcomes Agreement on Victims of the Armed Conflict in Colombia

ICTJ welcomes the recent agreement announced by the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to address issues of truth, justice, reparations and non-recurrence and hopes that it will pave the way for the successful completion of the negotiations to end the decades-long armed conflict in Colombia.

12/18/15
Press Releases

Activists and Magistrates Join Forces to Tackle International Crimes in DRC

In meeting spaces in Goma, Bukavu, and Bunia, activists and magistrates are discussing ways that they can work together to improve the prosecution of international crimes in the region and address the concerns of local communities.

12/10/15
In Focus

ICTJ Paper Looks at Range of Options for Dealing with Myanmar’s Troubled Past

With hopes running high after the National League for Democracy’s landslide victory in November, a new ICTJ paper calls on the soon-to-be-established Burmese government to seriously consider taking steps to deal with Myanmar’s troubled past as a way to help end the cycle of violence and human rights violations in the conflict-torn country.

12/08/15
Press Releases

Opening Up Remedies in Myanmar

This briefing paper calls on the soon-to-be-established NLD-led Burmese government to seriously consider taking steps to deal with Myanmar’s troubled past as a way to help end the cycle of violence and human rights violations in the conflict-torn country.

by

Aileen Thomson

Briefing Paper

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

After Elections, Full Democracy Awaits Release of Myanmar’s Political Prisoners

In this op-ed, ICTJ's Aileen Thomson and Bo Kyi argue that in the wake of Myanmar's historic elections, the release of all political prisoners held by the government would be an important step towards national reconciliation.

12/02/15
In Focus

Civil Society Groups and Members of the Judiciary Discuss Greater Collaboration on Prosecution of International Crimes in the DRC

ICTJ held a series of workshops in Goma, Bukavu, and Bunia, Eastern DRC, from November 13 until November 20 to discuss opportunities for greater interaction and collaboration between civil society and criminal justice officials to advance the prosecution of international crimes in the Congo, in order to better address the concerns of affected communities.

11/30/15
Press Releases

Transforming Education, Transforming the Future

In this op-ed, ICTJ Vice President Paul Seils discusses how education can be used to address legacies of mass violence and dictatorship.

11/24/15
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

Education and Transitional Justice: Opportunities and Challenges for Peacebuilding

This report, part of a joint research project by ICTJ and UNICEF on the intersections of education, transitional justice, and peacebuilding, explores how a transitional justice framework can help to identify educational deficits relating to the logic of past conflict and/or repression...

by

Clara Ramírez-Barat and Roger Duthie

Report

Doing Right by Victims in Cote d’Ivoire: Ouattara’s Second Term

In this op-ed, ICTJ President David Tolbert argues that President Alassane Ouattara should use his second term as president to address widespread atrocities committed in Cote d'Ivoire's recent past.

11/11/15
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

Redress Needed for Children Born of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Northern Uganda and Their Mothers

Children born as a result of wartime sexual violence in northern Uganda and their mothers face continued and compounded violations of their rights and dignity, says ICTJ. Without urgent redress, they will continue on a path of marginalization, poverty, and further abuse.

10/28/15
Press Releases

From Rejection to Redress: Overcoming Legacies of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Northern Uganda

Women and girls in Northern Uganda were victims of various forms of sexual violence, crimes whose consequences endure today. Many of the survivors bore children as a result of their violations, and the children born of wartime rape have been largely overlooked by the state. Meanwhile,...

by

Virginie Ladisch

Report

From Rejection to Redress: Overcoming Legacies of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence for Women and Their Children in Northern Uganda

This paper examines the unique, enduring consequences of conflict-related sexual violence in northern Uganda, focusing specifically on the impact of the lack of accountability for sexual crimes leading to motherhood on girls and women, and on the children they bore as a result of viol...

by

Virginie Ladisch

Briefing Paper

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

“THE WAR AS I SEE IT”: Photo Contest Invites Lebanese Youth to Show Effects of the Civil War Through Their Eyes

In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the end of the Lebanese civil war, ICTJ is holding a youth photo contest to raise awareness about the importance of truth seeking and truth telling about people’s experiences of the war and post-war violence.

10/23/15
Press Releases

ICTJ Welcomes Agreement on the Search for the Disappeared in Colombia

ICTJ welcomes the recent agreement announced by the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to commit to immediately implement measures to search for, locate, and identify those who have disappeared during the 50-year armed conflict and – if a final peace agreement is reached – to create a special unit dedicated to these tasks.

10/21/15
Press Releases

ICTJ Report: Complex Law and Violence Hamper Reparations for Victims in Colombia

A complex law and ongoing violence are complicating efforts by the Colombian government to provide reparations to millions of victims of the country’s internal armed conflict, according to a new report by ICTJ.

10/19/15
Press Releases

From Principles to Practice: Challenges of Implementing Reparations for Massive Violations in Colombia

This report examines Colombia’s Victims and Land Restitution Law (2011), which provides comprehensive reparations to conflict victims and restitution to victims of forced displacement who rely on land for their livelihoods – and assesses the challenges of implementing the law under cu...

by

Cristián Correa

Report

In the Shadows of the Nobel Prize - Impunity Still a Threat to Tunisia’s Transition

In this op-ed, Rim El Gantri, head of ICTJ's Tunisian office, discusses the challenges facing Tunisia's transitional justice process and argues that the government's failure to provide accountability for crimes committed under past regimes threatens the country's transition to democracy.

10/16/15
In Focus

Devil Is in the Detail of Colombian Justice Deal

In this op-ed, ICTJ Vice President Paul Seils analyzes the criminal justice agreement announced by the Government of Colombia and the FARC and discusses what aspects of the deal need clarification to ensure that it is capable of delivering the kind of truth and justice that victims of Colombia's armed conflict deserve.

10/15/15
In Focus

ICTJ Deplores ANC Resolution to Lead Africa-wide Withdrawal from ICC

ICTJ deplores the resolution of the African National Congress, at its National General Council meeting on Sunday, to withdraw South Africa from the International Criminal Court and lead an Africa-wide walkout from the court.

10/13/15
Press Releases

Nobel Peace Prize Recognizes Key Role of Tunisia’s Civil Society in Country’s Transition

ICTJ welcomes the award of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize to Tunisia's National Dialogue Quartet for helping the country transition to democracy. With the award, the Nobel committee acknowledges the "decisive contribution" made by the group of civil society organizations after Tunisia’s 2011 revolution.

10/09/15
Press Releases

Magistrates Discuss Dual Jurisdiction of Military and Civilian Courts over International Crimes in DRC

In cooperation with the High Judicial Council, ICTJ held a seminar today with senior representatives of the Congolese military and civilian judiciary and prosecutor’s office to discuss the dual jurisdiction of military and civilian courts over international crimes in the DRC.

10/09/15
Press Releases

ICTJ Paper Highlights Progress and Challenges So Far in Tunisia’s Transition

Tunisia continues to take steps to fulfill its commitments under its ground-breaking Transitional Justice Law and realize the goals of the 2011 revolution. But a rocky start to the country’s new truth commission and proposed reconciliation-cum-amnesty legislation could undermine these efforts, according to a new paper by ICTJ.

09/29/15
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

Tunisia in Transition: One Year After the Creation of the Truth and Dignity Commission

This briefing paper details and analyzes the progress made so far in Tunisia to implement its historic Transitional Justice Law, with a particular focus on the Truth and Dignity Commission, created one year ago.

by

Reem El Gantri

Briefing Paper

Following Colombia’s Agreement on Criminal Accountability, ICTJ Pledges Continued Support for the Hard Work Ahead

The International Center for Transitional Justice welcomes the recent agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to create a special criminal jurisdiction as part of an integrated system of truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence.

09/25/15
Press Releases

Carlos Dada: Guatemalan Victories over Impunity Have Inspired People across Central America

The resignation and indictment of President Otto Pérez Molina for corruption was a significant victory over impunity in Guatemala. In an interview with journalist Carlos Dada, we discussed how recent developments in Guatemala could impact other countries in Central America, such as Honduras and El Salvador.

09/22/15
In Focus

ICTJ and Tunisian Human Rights Groups Launch Network for Inclusion of Women in Transitional Justice Process

In collaboration with 11 Tunisian human rights organizations from nine regions, ICTJ recently established the network “Transitional Justice is also for Women” to engage women as active participants in transitional justice initiatives.

09/03/15
In Focus

Analysis: Inter-American Court’s Dangerous Precedent in Limiting Insurgents’ Right to Reparations

In this analysis piece, ICTJ's Cristián Correa expresses concern about a decision by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights leaving room for interpretations that condone the use of methods for combating subversion and terrorism forbidden by international human rights law.

09/02/15
In Focus

Tunisia's "Reconciliation Bill" Threatens Gains of the Revolution

In this op-ed, ICTJ's President David Tolbert expresses concern about the new "Reconciliation Bill" proposed by the Tunisian government, which would grant amnesty to corrupt business people and Ben Ali-era officials in the guise of "reconciliation." "Massive corruption and violent human rights violations are mutually reinforcing, and unless this linkage is exposed and broken, it can lead to mutually reinforcing impunity," writes Tolbert.

08/17/15
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

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

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

A Reflection on How to Capitalize on Small Gains in Prosecuting International Crimes in DRC

On International Justice Day, the head of ICTJ's Criminal Justice program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myriam Raymond-Jetté, reflects on how to build on small successes in prosecuting international crimes in the national courts.

07/17/15
In Focus

The Accountability Landscape in Eastern DRC Analysis of the National Legislative and Judicial Response to International Crimes (2009–2014) - Briefing

This briefing paper summarizes the findings of an ICTJ report (by the same name) on the judicial response to international crimes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It makes substantive recommendations to justice stakeholders in the DRC on how to advance prosecutions of internat...

by

Sofia Candeias, Luc Côté, Elsa Papageorgiou, and Myriam Raymond-Jetté

Briefing Paper