Class Schedule for Spring 2023

In an attempt to answer these (and many other) questions, this course will introduce students to the wide-ranging transitional justice mechanisms used in post-conflict countries throughout the world. The course begins with a historical and theoretical overview of the conflicts and international mechanisms that gave rise to the transitional justice movement. This will be followed by an in-depth analysis of the competing objectives present in post-conflict societies (i.e. to forgive or punish, to “forget” or establish a public record of the truth, etc.). Emphasis will be placed on the cultural, historical, and legal forces that shape post-conflict peace-building efforts, including a focus on the relative successes and failures of each institutional model. Throughout the course students will be introduced to human rights law and the human rights implications presented in these complex yet increasingly common situations.

The second half of the course will consist of four post-conflict case studies: Bosnia, Rwanda, El Salvador, and Cambodia. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the cultural, political, and historical processes that led to both the escalation and cessation of conflict in each country, along with an overview of the efforts made to help each society transition away from authoritarianism and violence. An overview of the role that international organizations (e.g. the UN), individual governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play in post-conflict societies will be provided for each case study.