Post-Conflict Reconciliation

International Relations > Non-U.S.
Law > International
Political Science

An analysis of the merits of a national court and an international tribunal in achieving reconciliation in post-conflict societies, with Rwanda as an example.

2,417 words () | 15 sources | MLA | 2005 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the initiatives set up in Rwanda both by the United Nations and the government of Rwanda for achieving reconciliation post-conflict and suggests a more comprehensive solution, taking into account the two supplementary objectives of retribution and reconciliation. The paper discusses the merits of international tribunals, national courts, the Gacaca system, truth commissions, restorative justice and tools for emotional restoration. The paper concludes that the three methods of international courts, national courts and the Gacaca concept are all needed to complement each other.

Outline:
Introduction
The Rwanda Case Study
Other Methods of Conflict Resolution
The Way Forward

From the Paper:

"Rebuilding a state devastated by a conflict often requires more than just a physical end to the hostilities. As Jane Stromseth points out, "justice in the strict sense of obtaining punishment for perpetrators and redress for victims is often the immediate goal" in initiatives of reconciliation in post-conflict situations like genocide. However, in cases of internal strife, merely apprehending the key perpetrators does not help to overcome the scarring of both the people and the state. Reconciliation efforts need to concentrate on two aspects: capture and conviction of the aggressors, and emotional, physical and economic relief for the victims."

Sample of Sources Used:

Steven R. Ratner, Jason S. Abrams, Accountability For Human Rights Atrocities In International Law: Beyond The Nuremberg Legacy, Oxford University Press, 2001.
Ed. Jane E. Stromseth, Accountability For Atrocities: National And International Responses, Transnational Publishers, 2003.
Geoffrey Robertson, Crimes Against Humanity: The Struggle For Global Justice, London 2002.
Ed George J. Andreopoulos, Genocide: Conceptual And Historical Dimensions, University of Pennslyvania Press, 1993.
Ed Philippe Sands, From Nuremberg to the Hague: the Future of International Criminal Justice, Cambridge University Press 2003.

Cite this paper

APA Citation:

Post-Conflict Reconciliation (2012, January 15). Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.academon.com/Analytical-Essay-Post-Conflict-Reconciliation/109467