What's next for transitional justice in challenging times?

In the aftermath of the Cold War, there has been a growing willingness to address human rights violations and war crimes following periods of violent conflict or authoritarian rule. Transitional justice mechanisms, such as truth commissions, criminal tribunals and reparation programs have thus become crucial elements of democratisation and peacebuilding processes. Adapting to different political, social and cultural environments, the field has broadened its thinking and practice in recent years. More attention is now paid to the role of the private sector and corruption, the empowerment of survivor groups, healing and memorialisation, as well as measures to prevent future human rights violations. At the same time, state and civil society actors alike have to navigate in complex contexts and protracted conflicts such as Colombia, Mali, Syria and Iraq, and not every effort has proven successful. With the war in Ukraine and a re-emerging polarisation of the international system, collaborative and inclusive approaches to peace and justice face additional challenges.

Against this background, we invite you to the first event of the Global Learning Hub for Transitional Justice and Reconciliation with longstanding experts. This dialogue raises the following questions about the field of transitional justice:

• What has been achieved in the past decades – and where do we stand today?
• What lessons have we learnt so far – and how can we contribute to transformative change in protracted conflicts?
• What needs to be improved, changed – or avoided? What is the future role of the international community?

Global Learning Hub for Transitional Justice and Reconciliation

The Global Learning Hub for Transitional Justice and Reconciliation is a joint initiative of the Berghof Foundation and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, in collaboration with partners from Germany and across the world. Set up in early 2022, the Hub advances approaches to transitional justice and dealing with the past and builds bridges between policy and practice. To this end, we will bring people together to learn from each other, we will substantiate, generate and disseminate knowledge, and we will provide advice.