| 16 May-26 June 2012
Instructor: Dr. Anja Mihr
Transitional justice is a widespread concept in the field of human rights work and advocacy today. It is part of the long term process of reconciliation in post-conflict and transition societies and it covers a range of activities and tools. Transitional justice aims at acknowledging past wrongdoings, severe human rights abuses or crimes against humanity and bringing its perpetrators to justice. Criminal prosecution, official investigation commissions, reparations and restitution programs as well as memorialisation efforts are part of these processes. The long term objective of reconciliation processes and transitional justice is to (re-)establish civic trust in state institutions, e.g. independent courts, police, parliaments and among the society as such. Thus it aims to establish stability and peace in war or conflict-torn societies after periods of severe injustice, violence or suppression.
Transitional justice and the process of reconciliation cover a range of formal and informal activities, institutions and mechanisms. To name a few: fact finding missions, truth and reconciliation commissions, history commissions, international tribunals or domestic courts, formal recognition and apologies, reparations and restoration, vetting of former civil or military servants, exhumation of victims, establishing memorials or reforming the security sector (police and military). The establishment of these mechanisms is part of international human rights and humanitarian aid policies and international law developed by the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union or the Organization of American States. Civil society actors, NGOs and development agencies are part of the whole process and help to establish commissions and share expertise.
This e-learning course will give a detailed introduction to the (increasing) number of political mechanisms, tools as well as legal instruments that promote and facilitate transitional justice and reconciliation processes. It will outline who the main actors and agents are in these fields, such as international organisations, NGOs or states. Participants will apply these mechanisms on case studies and develop their own tools and possibilities to contribute to these processes.
The course involves approximately 40 hours of reading, on-line working groups, interaction with students and instructor, webinars and quizzes, and is offered over a 6-week period. International legal and policy papers are part of the reading, thus the course will have a multi-disciplinary approach from international human rights law, international relations and history. The course is based on a participatory, active learning approach, with an emphasis on critical reflection and peer-to-peer learning. The maximum number of course participants is 25. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Participation. It is also possible to be an auditor of the course.
Course outline
Week 1. Concepts and evolution of transitional justice and reconciliation
Week 2. Legal and political basis for transitional justice and reconciliation
Week 3. Mechanism of long term reconciliation
Week 4. Institutions, actors and agencies
Week 5. Prosecution and combating impunity
Week 6. (Re-)establishing solid and peaceful societies
About the instructor
Dr. Anja Mihr is Associate Professor at the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM), University of Utrecht (Netherlands). In her latest research she is focusing on transitional justice, reconciliation, human rights and democratisation. She has worked on transitional justice and Reconciliation in Rwanda, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Chile, Spain and Somaliland. In 2008 she was Visiting Professor for Human Rights at Peking University Law School in China and worked for the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. From 2006-2008, Anja was the European Program Director for the European Master Degree in Human Rights and Democratization at the European Inter-University Center for Human Rights in Venice (Italy). She received her Ph.D in Political Sciences from the Free University in Berlin (Germany) in 2001. Mihr has worked for Amnesty International and the German Institute for Human Rights. Starting as a assistant professor with UNESCO Chair in Human Rights at the University of Magdeburg in 2002 in Germany, she was later a research director at the Humboldt University of Berlin carrying out the research project "Teaching Human Rights in Europe" from 2003-2006. From 2002-2006 Anja Mihr also served as Chair of Amnesty International Germany.
Who should apply
The course is aimed at practitioners and professionals who want to gain knowledge in the field of transitional justice, university students of international law, international relations, politics and other areas and NGO staff members. Participants should have a good written command of English and have high competence and comfort with computer and Internet use. HREA aims to ensure equal gender and geographical distribution across the selected participants. The maximum number of course participants is 25. It also possible to audit the course. A Certificate of Participation will be awarded upon successful completion of the course.
Costs
The course tuition fee is US$ 435. Tuition for auditors is US$ 165. Unfortunately, there are no scholarships or discounted tuition fees available for this course.
Application
The application deadline for this course was 1 May 2012. This course will be offered next in 2014.
Frequently asked questions about HREA's e-learning courses.
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