news
- Book Release (2009)
Building a Future on Peace and Justice
Kai Ambos; Judith Large; Marieke Wierda, (Eds.)
Studies on Transitional Justice, Peace and Development
The Nuremberg Declaration on Peace and Justice
Online and hardcover version available
- Press Release
June 20, 2008:
Press Statement: Nuremberg Declaration on Peace and Justice (pdf; 10 KB)
- Press Release
June 27, 2007:
Press Statement at the conclusion of the Conference (pdf; 60 KB)
- Press Release
June 25, 2007:
Federal Minister Steinmeier opens Peace Conference in Nuremberg: "Peace and reconciliation cannot be achieved by thinking in black and white" (pdf; 10 KB)
Parallel workshops
Tuesday, 26 June 2007, 14.30 - 18.00 h
Workshop 10:
Alternative Approaches to Dealing with the Past
Panel:
Chair: Mark Salter, International IDEA
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
Experts:
1. Paloma Aguilar, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Spain
2. Luc Huyse (TBC), University Leuven
3. Stef Vandeginste, University of Antwerp
4. Victor Igreja, Research School of Asian, African and American Studies (CNWS)
5. Klaas de Jonge, Independent Expert
English
Interpreting service into German
Workshop abstract:
This workshop will examine cases frequently cited as examples of countries having achieved sustainable peace despite the absence of formalised prosecutorial justice mechanisms.
One avenue to be explored will be situations such as Spain where there was officially a deliberate attempt to leave aside the past, both of the Civil War and the Francoist dictatorship, in the aftermath of change of regime. The aim will be to examine how stable such ‘pacts of silence' are as well as their consequences. The Spanish approach to reparations and justice will be examined in comparative terms. What legal and non-legal initiatives were adopted in Spain, Chile and Argentina regarding reparations and retrospective justice? The discourse of forgetting at the official level can be contrasted with the initiatives promoted by other parts of society. Why this issue has become so important in recent years? What have been the main initiatives promoted by the current government?
A different scenario is where in the public discourse - both at the national level and international level - the use of formal retributive justice mechanisms was strongly advocated, but where, in practice, there has been a complete failure to establish any kind of accountability mechanism. In the case of Burundi, the objective of reaching a negotiated settlement for the armed conflict and more than a decade of political instability has constantly outweighed the transitional justice agenda. No traditional mechanism has been used either. Now that the war and the political transition have come to an end, how can the past be dealt with?
A third scenario is presented in situations where traditional or alternative approaches are utilised in order to heal the divisions caused by conflict. Non-prosecutorial and restorative approaches are particularly salient in contexts where historically there has been little recourse to formalised justice systems. Have these alternative mechanisms in cases such as Mozambique been able to deliver relative stability and human rights protections? What is the relationship between traditional justice mechanisms and international norms for prosecution of gross rights violations?
Workshop responsible:
Crisis Management Initiative (CMI)