Transitional Justice: Retribution, Coexistence, Reconciliation

About the course

The experiences of Nazi Germany, Rwanda and former Yugoslavia led the world to question whether it would be at all possible to achieve justice, reconciliation and future coexistence in societies affected by genocide and other forms of mass violence. How do people deal with the question of justice and restitution after genocide and other forms of mass violence often involving tens of thousands of former co-citizens and neighbours as perpetrators, victims and bystanders?

On the basis of some of the most important cases of transitional justice after the Second World War, you will gain empirical and theoretical knowledge about various strategies to achieve peaceful coexistence and reconciliation after mass violence. Apart from an overview of various definitions and mechanisms of transitional justice and their relations to notions of coexistence and reconciliation, the course also provides you with an understanding of central theoretical concepts, while helping you to acquire skills in comparative method.