INCM 8355: Transitional Justice and Reconciliation

3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: INCM 8001 or INCM 8004
This course looks at the theory and practice of transitional justice, a field of study that examines the moral, legal and political dilemmas of societies dealing with legacies of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and other large-scale human right violations. Better known tools include truth commissions, reparations, and tribunals, but this course explores a range of approaches to transitional justice ranging from local, indigenous techniques to inter-governmental institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC). Additionally, the course explores other forms of accountability, including reconciliation-based approaches that may not fall within traditional conceptions of “justice” and may be rooted in cultural and religious practices more than secular state-based legal norms. The course provides space for both analysis and critique of the norms and assumptions of differing transitional justice mechanisms as well as challenges and opportunities for varying approaches to reconciliation.