scholarly journals Silent peacemakers: grass-roots transitional justice and peacebuilding by women in Kenya�s North Rift conflicts

2021 ◽  
Vol 9s2 ◽  
pp. 53-74
Author(s):  
Susan Mbula Kilonzo
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Transitional Justice ◽  
Economic Empowerment ◽  
African Union ◽  
Local Ownership ◽  
Grass Roots ◽  
Peace Processes ◽  
Transitional Processes ◽  
Women And Girls

African Union�s Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) acknowledges that conflicts affect women and girls disproportionately. Implied in this is the need for transitional processes that take into account the gendered nature of conflicts as well as the role of women in contributing to peacebuilding processes and transitional mechanisms. The article contextualises transitional justice within the framework of gender and grass-roots peacebuilding. From both theoretical and empirical perspectives, the article discusses snippets that depict women as contributors to peacebuilding and transitional justice mechanisms in Kenya�s North Rift conflicts. The study shows that women have used responsibility in burdens; advocacy; membership in village peace committees; negotiation with patriarchy; sensitisation and memorialisation; and socio-economic empowerment, as approaches to build peace and transition communities at the grass-roots level. These efforts feed into transitional justice�s tenets of peace processes, reconciliation, social cohesion, memorialisation, and local ownership. The paper illustrates the need for peacebuilders to focus more on integrating women�s voices in local and mainstream peacebuilding mechanisms.

scholarly journals A ‘model of reconciliation’? Fifty years of German–Israeli relations

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Wittlinger
Keyword(s):  
Collective Memory ◽  
Transitional Justice ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Grass Roots ◽  
Memory Culture ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Key Aspects

This article argues that German–Israeli reconciliation after 1945 has not been as exemplary as is often suggested. Drawing on key aspects which emerge from a discussion of relevant concepts in the first part of the article – transitional justice and reconciliation – it will show that Germany’s memory culture, as evidenced in the elite discourse, has indeed developed in a way that points to a successful reconciliation between the two countries. On the other hand, however, German regret emerged only reluctantly, was by and large confined to West Germany, and took a long time to establish itself formally, with emphasis on German suffering rather than suffering caused by Germans always playing an important role in German collective memory after 1945. It will also show that at grass-roots level, reconciliation between Germany and Israel is far from unproblematic. Apart from providing a critical assessment of the reconciliation between Germany and Israel after 1945, the article contributes to current academic literature on transitional justice, reconciliation and the role of memory which suggests that even though commemoration and micro-level reconciliation might be important, the geopolitical context in which reconciliation takes place and strategic security considerations also play a significant role.

scholarly journals Sustaining the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda: The Role of UN Peacekeeping in Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 103-121
Author(s):  
Lisa Sharland
Keyword(s):  
Peace Operations ◽  
Peace Processes ◽  
Sustainable Peace ◽  
Un Peacekeeping ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Peace Operation ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Women And Girls

Abstract Peacebuilding is less likely to succeed without the participation and consideration of women. In the last two decades, peace operations deployed on the African continent under the banner of the United Nations and the African Union have included mandates focused on strengthening women’s participation in peace processes, ensuring the protection of women and girls, and integrating gender considerations into the approach of missions at building sustainable peace. This chapter examines the approaches undertaken in two case study countries—Liberia (where a long-standing UN peace operation has recently departed) and South Sudan (where a UN peace operation continues to operate with significant constraints)—in order to examine some of the challenges and opportunities that UN engagement has offered in terms of advancing equality and women’s security in each country.

Part II Substantive Aspects, Ch.8 Cultural Heritage, Transitional Justice, and Rule of Law

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vrdoljak Ana Filipa
Keyword(s):  
World War I ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Transitional Justice ◽  
Criminal Courts ◽  
Cultural Rights ◽  
Peace Processes ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Sustainable Peace ◽  
State Practice

This chapter examines the interrelationship between cultural heritage and efforts to secure and sustain peace. It gives an overview of the new international order the post–World War I and II peace settlements sought to create and the role of specialist culture bodies within intergovernmental frameworks in promoting the role of culture and cultural heritage in peace efforts. The role of culture rights and cultural heritage is considered within the transitional justice framework enunciated by the UN covering the rights to justice and accountability, truth, remedy and reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence. Illustrations are drawn from the burgeoning jurisprudence of regional human rights courts and international criminal courts and State practice arising from the proliferation of peace processes since 1989. Finally, it considers the preventative role of cultural heritage and cultural rights in sustaining peace beyond the post-conflict context and UN/UNESCO efforts to promote a culture of sustainable peace.

scholarly journals La reconciliación: reto ético y político en el contexto colombiano

2018 ◽  
pp. 15-58
Author(s):  
Mauricio García Durán
Keyword(s):  
Transitional Justice ◽  
International Level ◽  
Peace Processes ◽  
Lasting Peace

El artículo se aproxima al debate sobre la reconciliación a nivel internacional, en toda su complejidad, para lo cual resalta los elementos que pueden contribuir a la construcción de una paz sostenible y duradera en Colombia, a través de cinco interrogantes: a) ¿Por qué trabajar por la reconciliación?, que pretende presentar las razones para comprometerse en su promoción. b) ¿Qué podemos entender por reconciliación?, que muestra los desarrollos conceptuales que permiten responder a la complejidad que supone promover la reconciliación tras un conflicto largo y degradado. c) ¿Quién(es) es (son) agente(s) de la reconciliación?, que señala los actores que participan, en particular, las víctimas. d) ¿Cómo avanzar hacia la reconciliación?, que muestra los modelos de reconciliación que se pueden implementar. e) ¿Cuándo se puede avanzar en la reconciliación?, que indica la dimensión de temporalidad que esta implica. Abstract: The article seeks to make an approximation to the debate about reconciliation on an international level, in all the complexity that this implies, highlighting the elements that can contribute to the construction of a sustainable and lasting peace in Colombia. It is done by answering five questions: (a) why to work for reconciliation? Looking to present the reasons to engage in its promotion. (b) What can we understand by reconciliation? Showing the conceptual developments that make able to answer to the complexity that supposes to promote the reconciliation after a long and withered conflict. (c) Who are agents of reconciliation? Indicating the actors involved, in particular the role of the victims. (d) How to move towards reconciliation?, showing the models of reconciliation that can be implemented. (e) When can we advance in reconciliation? Indicating the dimension of temporality, that promoting reconciliation implies. Keywords: Transitional justice, Peace processes, Recontiliation, Truth and reparation.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights under the 2010 Constitutional Dispensation

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-226
Author(s):  
Bonolo Ramadi Dinokopila ◽  
Rhoda Igweta Murangiri
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Transitional Justice ◽  
National Commission ◽  
Bill Of Rights ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
National Human ◽  
The Status ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights

This article examines the transformation of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and discusses the implications of such transformation on the promotion and protection of human rights in Kenya. The article is an exposition of the powers of the Commission and their importance to the realisation of the Bill of Rights under the 2010 Kenyan Constitution. This is done from a normative and institutional perspective with particular emphasis on the extent to which the UN Principles Relating to the Status of National Institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles, 1993) have been complied with. The article highlights the role of national human rights commissions in transformative and/or transitional justice in post-conflict Kenya. It also explores the possible complementary relationship(s) between the KNCHR and other Article 59 Commissions for the better enforcement of the bill of rights.

THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-131
Author(s):  
Mbuzeni Mathenjwa
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Local Government ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
African Union ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The Status ◽  
Administrative Units

The place and role of local government within the structure of government in Africa has attracted much public interest. Prior to and after independence, African countries used local government as the administrative units of central governments without their having any legal status, to the extent that local authorities were under the strict control of central governments. The autonomy of local government is pivotal in the democratisation of a country. The United Nations, European Union and African Union have adopted treaties to promote the recognition and protection of local government in the state parties’ constitutions. Accordingly, this article explains the status of local government in Africa and its impact on strengthening democracy in African states.

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