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 8:
Reconciliation
Panel:
Chair: Yasmin Sooka, Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa
Experts:
1. Hizkias Assefa, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University
2. David Bloomfield, Berghof Research Center
3. Mohammad Farid Hamidi, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission
4. Hugo van de Merwe, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), Johannesburg
English
Interpreting service into French and German
Workshop abstract:
In many conflict and post-conflict countries situations in which peace and justice appear to compete with one another are on the rise. Conflict leaders may accept peace agreements only in return for amnesty. Fragile security, precarious post-conflict power-sharing arrangements and weak institutions may limit the scope for achieving justice. Conflict victims may feel resentful if no one is called to account for their suffering. Peace-building may be further complicated if peace/security, justice/rule-of-law and other development priorities have to compete for scarce resources. Whereas in the beginning of the 1990's so called "Truth and Reconciliation Commissions" seemed to be a powerful instrument for peace-building in such contexts the term "reconciliation" is seen much more critical from today's historical perspective.
The Workshop therefore aims to discuss the importance of reconciliation, understood as a pragmatic process of relation-building, underpinned by (political, institutional, emotional) confidence-building measures, unfolding between groups (as opposed to reconciliation as an inter-personal process). The Workshop should raise awareness against incorrect labeling (reconciliation not synonym for avoiding accountability, collective amnesia or personal forgiveness).
As one of the main topics the meeting will discuss the pros and cons of a "bottom-up" versus a "top-down" processes: Is reconciliation something that requires visionary political leadership that builds bridges at an elite level or through public acts of humility and unity? Or does reconciliation depend on more sustained initiatives of building understanding among divided groups in schools, the workplace and communities?
Further questions will concentrate on the interaction and interdependence between relation-building and other requirements of justice and development, the tasks of administering justice, designing institutions, the role of politics and legislation to ensure the development and sustainability of relation-building, the role of civil society in weaving these relations and the importance of Gender justice and reconciliation.
Workshop responsible:
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)