Transitional Justice

Outlines strategies and distinctive challenges for third-party mediators and other advisors, including countering hate speech and exclusionary policies, engaging religious and tribal leaders, establishing trust through intergroup dialogues, and other measures. Recommended for practitioners whose peacebuilding work requires them to work with religious, ethnic, tribal and minority groups.

A 'hands on' course that provides students with a guiding principles for organizing and implementing post-conflict and stability operations based upon desired end-states commonly accpeted by the peacebuilding community. The course will focus on the critical issues that confront post-conflict interventions and the overarching leadership challenges involved in manthese objectives.

As Liberia continues its struggle to rebuild institutions destroyed by years of brutal conflict, the rule of law has emerged as a focus area of national and international development efforts.  A key policy question concerns the future of Liberia’s dual justice system under which a hierarchy of chiefs’ courts managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs exists in parallel to the formal judiciary.  Co-authors Deborah Isser and Stephen Lubkemann discuss the policy implications of the newest USIP Peaceworks with the Chair of the Liberian Law Reform Commission.

 Since the internal armed conflict in Guatemala ended in 1996, millions of dollars have been spent on transitional justice, but the state's efforts to create an effective justice system have largely failed -- obliging many Guatemalans to create their own coping mechanisms for war-time atrocities, and severely limiting the effectiveness of ongoing transitional justice efforts.

Truth Commission: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Duration:  April 29, 2009 – 2010 (expected; one year, not counting a three months preparatory period). Extensions by the Prime Minister are possible, but limited to one year.
Charter: Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act 2008 (No. 5 of 2008)
Commissioners: 5
Report: Not yet issued

The Sudan Experience Project Oral History Library contains the transcripts of nearly 100 interviews with those who negotiated and who are implementing the CPA. These first person accounts and the lessons learned from their experience are a substantial contribution to our understanding of the challenges of negotiating and implementing complex peace agreements.

Truth Commission: Equity and Reconciliation Commission
Duration: 2004 – 2005
Charter: Dahir (Royal Decree) No. 1.04.42
Commissioners: 16
Report: Public report

Truth Commission: Ad Hoc Inquiry Commission in Charge of the Question of Disappearances
Duration:  2003 - 2005
Charter: Presidential decree 03-299
Commissioners: 6
Report: No public report