International Center for Transitional Justice
Encyclopedia
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) was founded in 2001 as a non-profit organization dedicated to pursuing accountability for mass atrocity and human rights abuse through transitional justice mechanisms.
abuse. ICTJ works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systematic abuse remain unresolved.
Governments and others seeking to promote justice
, peace and reconciliation are likely to consider a variety of responses to human rights crimes. ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive and localized approaches to transitional justice
, focusing on seven key elements: prosecutions, truth-seeking, institutional reform, gender justice, reparations
, peace and justice, and memorials.
ICTJ is committed to building local capacity and strengthening the emerging field of transitional justice, and works with partner organizations and experts around the world. ICTJ provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis
, documentation and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking institutions, civil society, governments and others.
against abuse, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) was founded on the concept of a new direction in human rights advocacy: helping societies to heal by accounting for and addressing past crimes after a period of repressive rule or armed conflict.
ICTJ was first conceived at a strategy meeting hosted by the Ford Foundation
in April 2000. More than two dozen participants, including legal scholars, as well as human rights advocates and practitioners, gathered to discuss ways of contributing to the rapidly emerging field of transitional justice.
The participants expressed broad support for the establishment of an organization focusing on transitional justice
. The Foundation subsequently asked three consultants—Alex Boraine, Priscilla Hayner and Paul van Zyl—to develop a plan for such an organization. Their initial five-year proposal received funding support from the Ford Foundation
, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York
, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Andrus Family Fund.
ICTJ officially opened its doors in New York City on March 1, 2001, and within six months was operating in more than a dozen countries, as requests for assistance poured in. In 2004 Founding President Alex Boraine returned to South Africa
to establish the Center’s Cape Town
Office. Offices in Brussels
and Geneva
followed in 2005. ICTJ currently has offices in New York City
, Beirut
, Bogotá
, Brussels
, Cape Town
, Geneva
, Jakarta
, Kampala
, Monrovia
, Nairobi
, and Nepal
.
, Co-Founder and First President of ICTJ
• Priscilla Hayner
, Co-Founder of ICTJ and Director of its Sierra Leone, Peru, and Ghana Programs
• Paul van Zyl
, Co-Founder of ICTJ and CEO of PeaceVentures
• Juan E. Mendez, President Emeritus of ICTJ
• David Tolbert
, President of ICTJ
Mission statement
The International Center for Transitional Justice assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuse. ICTJ works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systematic abuse remain unresolved.
Governments and others seeking to promote justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
, peace and reconciliation are likely to consider a variety of responses to human rights crimes. ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive and localized approaches to transitional justice
Transitional justice
Transitional justice generally refers to a range of approaches that states may use to address past human rights violations and includes both judicial and non-judicial approaches. They include series of actions or policies and their resulting institutions, which may be enacted at a point of...
, focusing on seven key elements: prosecutions, truth-seeking, institutional reform, gender justice, reparations
Reparation (legal)
In jurisprudence, reparation is replenishment of a previously inflicted loss by the criminal to the victim. Monetary restitution is a common form of reparation...
, peace and justice, and memorials.
ICTJ is committed to building local capacity and strengthening the emerging field of transitional justice, and works with partner organizations and experts around the world. ICTJ provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis
Policy analysis
Policy analysis is "determining which of various alternative policies will most achieve a given set of goals in light of the relations between the policies and the goals". However, policy analysis can be divided into two major fields. Analysis of policy is analytical and descriptive—i.e., it...
, documentation and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking institutions, civil society, governments and others.
History
While human rights organizations have traditionally focused on documenting violations and lobbyingLobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
against abuse, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) was founded on the concept of a new direction in human rights advocacy: helping societies to heal by accounting for and addressing past crimes after a period of repressive rule or armed conflict.
ICTJ was first conceived at a strategy meeting hosted by the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
in April 2000. More than two dozen participants, including legal scholars, as well as human rights advocates and practitioners, gathered to discuss ways of contributing to the rapidly emerging field of transitional justice.
The participants expressed broad support for the establishment of an organization focusing on transitional justice
Transitional justice
Transitional justice generally refers to a range of approaches that states may use to address past human rights violations and includes both judicial and non-judicial approaches. They include series of actions or policies and their resulting institutions, which may be enacted at a point of...
. The Foundation subsequently asked three consultants—Alex Boraine, Priscilla Hayner and Paul van Zyl—to develop a plan for such an organization. Their initial five-year proposal received funding support from the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Andrus Family Fund.
ICTJ officially opened its doors in New York City on March 1, 2001, and within six months was operating in more than a dozen countries, as requests for assistance poured in. In 2004 Founding President Alex Boraine returned to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to establish the Center’s Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
Office. Offices in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
followed in 2005. ICTJ currently has offices in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
, Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
.
Notable Staff
• Alex BoraineAlex Boraine
Dr. Alex Boraine is a South African politician. He was born in Cape Town.Having been ordained as a Methodist minister in 1956, he studied at Rhodes University in South Africa, Oxford University in England, and Drew University in the USA....
, Co-Founder and First President of ICTJ
• Priscilla Hayner
Priscilla Hayner
Priscilla Hayner has received degrees from Earlham College and the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.She is best known for her expertise on truth commissions and transitional justice, and has focused her work on official truth-seeking measures in political...
, Co-Founder of ICTJ and Director of its Sierra Leone, Peru, and Ghana Programs
• Paul van Zyl
Paul van Zyl
Paul van Zyl grew up in South Africa during the apartheid era. He spent many years actively opposing apartheid, and served as the Executive Secretary of South Africa’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 1995 to 1998....
, Co-Founder of ICTJ and CEO of PeaceVentures
• Juan E. Mendez, President Emeritus of ICTJ
• David Tolbert
David Tolbert
David Tolbert currently serves as the third president of the International Center for Transitional Justice, a global human rights organization with headquarters in New York....
, President of ICTJ