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15 February 2021
Abel Vijayakumar is enrolled in our MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law (MTJ). In this interview, he tells about the programme and life in Geneva.
I am Abel Vijayakumar and I am from Malaysia. I am professionally trained as a lawyer and have been actively involved in human rights issues in Southeast and South Asia while pursuing my MA in Human Rights and Democratization at Mahidol University and the University of Colombo.
During my time in Thailand and Sri Lanka, I have interned and volunteered in domestic and international civil society organization that dealt with various issues, including the refugee crisis and transitional justice. Before starting the MTJ at the Geneva Academy, I was working as a Law and Policy Officer focusing on economic social and cultural rights at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.
My interest in transitional justice (TJ) started when I was in Sri Lanka working on TJ related issues. There, I realized that I required a deeper understanding of the legal, policy and comparative jurisdictional components of this field. TJ is traditionally used in post-conflict scenarios, but I believe it is possible to make it more fluid and implement it alongside policy approaches to other situations and contexts.
The Geneva Academy, as a leading institution for research and education in TJ, was undoubtedly an excellent choice for me to pursue my further specialization in TJ and human rights.
Having to do this programme during a global pandemic is not necessarily ideal. However, my learning and unlearning experiences from my classmates from all over the world is definitely the most enriching part of this programme. I also enjoy engaging with the various experts and academics who are teaching in the programme.
Yes, definitely. The programme is tailored in a way that is it suitable for anyone who wants to work on TJ or get into academia.
I am very open to any opportunities that could come my way, but I would really like to be on the ground and work in spaces where TJ processes are taking place. I am also interested to start the conversation on expanding the TJ mechanisms to use them in other contexts like the climate emergency or decolonization.
Place de la Navigation is in the Paquis neighbourhood where I live. This neighbourhood is probably the most diverse place in Geneva, and I enjoy walking around here and listening to the many languages spoken.
News
Geneva Academy
The 88 students enrolled in our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law started their respective programmes last week.
News
ICRC
In around 20 pages students of our LLM and MAS in Transitional Justice investigated a subject of special interest to them and deepened their knowledge and expertise through research as well as exchanges with experts, scholars and practitioners.
Event
etlene Reskp, Unsplash
This bilingual workshop, held in English and French, aims to raise awareness about the upcoming changes to the EU seed marketing legislation and explore pathways to align it with the right to seeds.
Event
Michael Power/APF
This event – co-organized with the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) – will discuss the new Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering – also known as the Méndez Principles.
Short Course
UN Photo
This short course, which can be followed in Geneva or online, analyses the main international and regional norms governing the international protection of refugees. It notably examines the sources of international refugee law, including the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and their interaction with human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Project
NYU Stern BH
This project aims at supporting the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights' project for the 10th anniversary of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Project
Publication
CCPR
