Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation

Last week, our advocacy specialist Dr. Bobuin Jr Valery had the honour of being invited to the Office of the President of Uganda to join some state ministers from Uganda and Somalia. He shared his thoughts on how to build and strengthen youth resilience in preventing radicalisation to violent extremism in the region, and shared the best practices and lessons learned from his previous work at our organisation in managing country led interventions in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. These interventions entailed advocating for the use of transitional justice tools to address radicalism and violent extremism in the broader Sahel region. Find the 3 country reports on Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger here: https://lnkd.in/dgZrpP-P #CSVRAdvocacy #TransitionalJustice

Measures like public education committees and youth and children’s units within truth commissions, casting witnesses as national educators, rethinking truth commission names, and country studies centres can better integrate education into transitional justice, writes Baba G. Jallow. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3AiJ3fq   #AfricanTJHub #TransitionalJustice #Education #TheGambia

Last week, I had the honour to be invited to the Office of the President of Uganda to join some state ministers from Uganda and Somalia. I shared my thoughts on how to build and strengthen youth resilience in preventing radicalisation to violent extremism in the region. I shared the best practices and lessons learned from my previous work at Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in managing country led interventions in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. This interventions entailed advocating for the use of transitional justice tools to address radicalism and violent extremism in the broader Sahel region.  Many thanks to IOM - UN Migration Special Liaison Office to the African Union and IOM Uganda for facilitating this engagement. (You can read the 3 country reports, available in English and French here: (https://lnkd.in/eZeMYwbJ ) 

As mental health awareness month comes to a close, we want to revisit a crucial policy brief on The Role of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in Transitional Justice: Perspectives from African Youth in DRC, Mali, Burundi, and South Sudan. This policy brief sheds light on the unique mental health challenges faced by youth in conflict-affected regions. Their voices highlight how unresolved trauma can hinder reconciliation, and how vital MHPSS is in addressing intergenerational trauma and building sustainable peace. 🔗 Read the full policy brief to understand the impact of MHPSS in African transitional justice processes: https://bit.ly/3Aod11u #MentalHealthAwareness #TransitionalJustice #MHPSS #CSVR

As South African Pride Month comes to a close, we take this moment to honour Simon Tseko Nkoli who fought for equality, justice, and visibility. His courage has paved the way for a more inclusive society, and each step forward today is a testament to his legacy. Celebrating Pride in South Africa is not just a remembrance of past struggles but a call to continue advocating for the rights and dignity of the LGBTQIA+ community.   #PrideMonth #Equality #LGBTQIA 

Today was day 4 of the Capacity Strengthening Training Programme on #TransitionalJustice & Reconciliation with special emphasis on the African Union Transitional Justice Policy #AUTJP hosted by Life & Peace Institute , Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR): with women-led civil society organisations from Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Kenya, DRC and Sudan. I facilitated the sessions on integrating trauma-informed approaches to #TransitionalJustice (TJ) as well as integrating #MHPSS in TJ processes. During the group discussions participants were able to discuss integration of trauma- informed approaches in the 11 elements of TJ and also reflected on initiatives and interventions they are implementing in their communities which respond to the MHPSS needs of victims and survivors. Some critical discussions from the session were around what constitutes "specialized services" as seen on the MHPSS pyramid frameworks and how these are still largely centred around " western" concepts of mental health interventions; the need to recognize and legitimize African psychology and African traditional interventions in communities, that address mental health challenges. Furthermore ,questions on the success of integrating MHPSS in TJ challenged the sustainability of such initiatives and services. These and many other critical conversations, highlighted key emerging debates around long-term funding for MHPSS,the decolonising psychology debates, with a focus on African community-led and strengths-based interventions to capacitate civil society and state institutions, implement and document the work that is already being done in communities experiencing conflict. An inspiring ,challenging and compelling session with women-led organizations that are dedicated to healing the effects of violent conflict in Africa. I appreciate the incredible work being done on the continent and encourage all members of civil society to continue advocating for #victimcentred initiatives, trauma-informed approaches to TJ, as well as actively establish and participate in knowledge and best practices sharing networks in order to firmly claim your place in the Transitional Justice space. Because you are the missing piece in informing and forming what healing looks like in our nation. As a practitioner, I am inspired. Lastly,there is still more to be done in integrating #TraumaInformed and #MHPSS approaches to TJ and Reconciliation and paying special focus on recognising existing methods of healing. The goal is to refine and define what is contextually relevant and brings about healing in the continent.

Empowering African Women Leaders on Transitional Justice and Reconciliation for Lasting Peace 🌍 Our collaborative training with the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) on Capacity Strengthening Training Programme on TJ and Reconciliation (TJ &R) with special focus on the African Union TJ Policy (AUTJP) is currently underway! A diverse group of inspiring women from the Horn of Africa and Great Lakes regions have come together to deepen their understanding of TJ&R and AUTJP to develop the skills needed to lead transformative change in their communities. This impactful women-only training is empowering women to lead the way in addressing past injustices, promoting dialogue, and building a more inclusive and equitable future for their communities.

CSVR, represented by Mary Izobo and Imran Darboe actively participated in the 81st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) from October 17 to 20, 2024, in Banjul, The Gambia. The session proved to be highly productive, allowing them to engage with a variety of stakeholders and strategic partners. They also had the opportunity to meet with the Commission's Executive Secretary to discuss collaboration on the roadmap for the African Transitional Justice Study and the African Union Transitional Justice Policy. Looking ahead to 2025, the AU's Year on Reparations, we are eager to work on joint initiatives with the ACHPR. #HumanRights #TransitionalJustice #CSVRAdvocacy

Join us online for the Transitional Justice: Boundaries, Innovations, and Refractions conference, happening on 24-25 October!   CSVR's Senior Research Specialist, Jasmina Brankovic, will be speaking on using transformative transitional justice approaches to address climate harms.   Don’t miss out on this critical conversation, hosted by University of Saskatchewan and Washington and Lee University.   Register today: https://bit.ly/48cUVMB   #TransitionalJustice #ClimateJustice #CSVR

Our Senior Research Specialist, Jasmina Brankovic, recently represented CSVR at the partner meeting of the Global Learning Hub for Transitional Justice and Reconciliation, hosted by the Berghof Foundation. The partners exchanged lessons learnt and planned joint activities, with the aim of advancing transformative approaches to transitional justice globally and in their countries.   With CSVR, the Hub partners include Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), Berghof Foundation, Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, Dejusticia, Impunity Watch, Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft (EVZ), Working Group on Peace and Development (FriEnt), and Youth Initiative for Human Rights - Kosovo (YIHR KS) and Serbia. #TransitionalJustice #Reconciliation