Transitional Justice in the Making: The Case of Colombia and Lessons from South Africa
On 22 June, 2016 the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) both signed a definitive ceasefire agreement after four years of protracted negotiations to end decades of internal conflict. While it may be seen by many international and regional supporters as an enormous achievement, many questions are still to be answered on the practicalities of the peace agreement and the implications it will have for Colombia’s journey towards Transitional Justice.
Both the experiences of Colombia and South Africa provide important insights into the challenges of transitioning from violence to peace, the translation of peace agreements into practice in different contexts and the role that transitional justice plays within peace agreements. This panel discussion will be convened to engage in a discussion on the practical challenges and the difficulties of embracing transitional justice mechanisms in light of broader influences of political climates, socio-economic factors and international jurisdiction. Set against the backdrop of the 20th anniversary of the South African TRC, there is a need for broader questions both to the practical challenges around the implementation of agreements in post-conflict scenarios and the transitional justice trajectory for both Colombia and South Africa.
Join us on Thursday, 21 July 2016, for this panel discussion that will include the following speakers:
Judge Albie Sachs (Adviser to Colombian Peace Process and Former SA Constitutional Court Judge)
Suren Pillay (Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape)
Mamello Mosiana (Justice and Transformation Programme, University of Cape Town)
Jeronimo Delgado (Centre for African Studies, Universidad Externado of Colombia)
Sonia Londoño (Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement, Colombia NPO).
Moderator :Tendai Maregere (IJR Fellow, PhD candidate Coventry University)
RSVP to Parusha Naidoo: AfricaIntern1@ijr.org.za
VENUE: 105 Hatfield, Gardens, Cape Town
DATE: 21 July 2016
TIME: 17h30 for 18h00