Geneva Academy
21 May 2019
During three days, students of our Master of Advanced Studies in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law (MTJ) immersed, via a practical exercise and in the context of the 2019 Spring School, in the design and establishment of a truth commission to address past human rights abuses.
Under the guidance of Howard Varney, a leading expert on the issue, they took up the roles of different stakeholders – including international and local NGOs, the United Nations and the African Union and the national government – involved in the process of designing and formulating the mandate of a truth commission in the context of a post-conflict truth-telling process involving local, regional, nationals and international actors.
‘Students had to work on a complex fictive scenario that involved a multitude of human rights violations committed by state and non-state actors in the context of a prolonged ethnic conflict ’ explains Frank Haldemann, Co-Director of the MTJ.
The Spring School provided an opportunity for students to work productively together during three days, share rich experiences and knowledge, and gain a more practical perspective of truth commissions as a central transitional justice ‘mechanism’.
‘During three days, students learnt to ‘apply’ their theoretical knowledge of truth commissions to a practical case by working in groups on very concrete problems relevant to truth commissions’ mandates and by adopting various actors’ perspectives’ underlines Thomas Unger, Co-Director of the MTJ.
‘We were impressed by the great team spirit and motivation, as well as by the high level of argumentation and engagement of the participants’ he adds.
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