1. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
THE 3rd INSTITUTE FOR AFRICAN TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE (IATJ)
“Prosecuting Crimes or Righting Wrongs: Which Way Forward?”
The Institute for African Transitional Justice is an annual week-long residential programme
designed to examine critical transitional justice issues in the context of Africa, and to catalyse the
development of African Transitional Justice systems.
The Refugee Law Project (RLP), School of Law, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, in
collaboration with the African Transitional Justice Research Network (ATJRN), is now accepting
applications to its 3rd Institute for African Transitional Justice (IATJ), to be held from 17th – 23rd
March 2013, at the National Memory and Peace Documentation Centre in Kitgum, Uganda.
This year’s thematic focus will be: “Prosecuting Crimes or Righting Wrongs: Which Way
Forward?”
Recent years have seen several developments in the field of transitional justice in Africa, not least
an unprecedented rise in activity and influence of international criminal justice institutions. These
include the landmark verdicts for former Liberian president Charles Taylor and Congolese warlord
Thomas Lubango Dilo, issued by the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone and the International
Criminal Court (ICC) respectively. There has also been an expansion of the jurisdiction of the
African Court to include crimes against humanity and war crimes, and the possibility of the East
African Court of Justice petitioning the ICC to transfer the trials of four Kenyans to its own
jurisdiction.
However, research demonstrates that while formal “international” judicial approaches to
prosecuting crimes are important for ensuring accountability and combating impunity within state-
centric governance systems, victims often maintain broader expectations that justice will more
directly right the wrongs that have been done to them, and that these may be achieved through
such mechanisms as truth seeking, reparations, memorialisation, acknowledgement, reconciliation,
and guarantees of non-repetition.
The 3rd IATJ will explore these differences in perspectives on justice to be found in individual
victims, affected communities, state parties and international institutions. Participants will engage
in the critical dilemmas related to balancing the prosecution of selected perpetrators with broader
programs to heal the wounds of conflicts and the injuries of oppression.
Questions to be articulated and discussed include: What are the gaps and opportunities in current
approaches to international and domestic criminal justice processes for victims? If “international”
justice is truly international, why are African states attempting to limit the ICC’s jurisdiction? What

2. difference would it make for righting wrongs if the prosecution of international crimes took place at
the sub-regional or continental level? How can formal prosecutorial approaches to justice be
complemented by other mechanisms (most notably reparations, truth-telling, memorialisation,
traditional justice, etc.), and how can those mechanisms resonate with individual senses of justice
needed to foster individual, community and national healing? What are the categories of victims
and violations (physical, sexual, gender-based, economic, social, cultural) that must be addressed
in seeking justice? Where, when and how must these violations be remedied? How can individual
and community healing be achieved? How do courts determine who is entitled to reparations,
and how are differences in the nature of violations accounted for? How are reparations
implemented at the local, national and international level? What gaps exist, and what are the best
practices? How gendered are reparations programmes, and how can gender-based crimes be
addressed?
Target group:
The Institute targets researchers, graduate students, policy-makers, practitioners, and
humanitarian actors with an interest in the field of transitional justice, from Research Institutions,
Universities, Civil Society Organisations, NGOs, International NGOs, Regional Organisations,
Foreign Missions and United Nations’ Agencies, located in or with a particular focus on Africa. The
Institute hosts a maximum of 40 participants; therefore interested parties are encouraged to submit
applications promptly.
Methodology:
The Institute invites regional speakers and experts in the African transitional justice field to share
their experience in contextualising and “localising” transitional justice policies and practices, and in
drawing on local practice to influence “international” policy. Speakers draw on their analytical and
practical expertise to offer insights on the future and potential limits of transitional justice in post-
conflict communities, particularly in Africa but also beyond.
The Institute uses a combination of approaches, including lectures, review of documentary
footage, group exercises, interactive sessions, open space, and writing and reflection exercises.
These provide multiple opportunities for participants to engage with emerging issues related to
righting wrongs through transitional justice. Perspectives developed during the institute are
published in a book. The first publication “Where Law Meets Reality: Forging an African
Transitional Justice” is accessible at http://fahamubooks.org/book/?GCOI=90638100649880
Fee:
Participants from within Africa will pay USD 1050 (one thousand fifty US Dollars) and those from
outside Africa will pay USD 1300 (one thousand three hundred US Dollars). The fee covers the
course fee, cost of materials, full-board accommodation for six nights, and round trip transportation
costs from Kampala to Kitgum.
Scholarships:
There are a limited number of partial and full scholarships for strongly motivated applicants.
Preference will be given to scholars and practitioners originating from AU member states and
Morocco who are actively involved with African institutions and civil society organizations.
Applicants applying for a scholarship must write a one page statement of need.
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3. http://refugeelawproject.org/IATJ_application.php
Application procedure:
1) Fill in the Online Application Form, by clicking on www.refugeelawproject.org/IATJ.php.
Please attach the following documents to your application:
• One page writing sample on any aspect of transitional justice practices and policies in Africa
• One reference letter from your organization or institution
• Current CV (maximum 3 pages)
2) Send a copy of your application to research@refugeelawproject.org title IATJ 3
Application.
3) Deadline for submitting applications is 10th February 2013
For further information regarding the IATJ, the 3rd Institute, and the application procedure, please
kindly visit www.refugeelawproject.org , or email Stephen Oola at research@refugeelawproject.org
and Helen Mayelle at iatj@refugeelawproject.org or h.mayelle@refugeelawproject.org . Phone
contact: +256-776897003.
New Upcoming Event:
South-South Institute on Sexual Violence against Men & Boys
8 – 12 April 2013
Kampala, Uganda
Refugee Law Project is pleased to announce the first South-South Institute
addressing the question of Sexual Violence Against Men & Boys. The focus of
the five day programme will be on sexual violence in conflict and asylum
contexts. The Institute, which is being developed in partnership with First
Step Cambodia and Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust (New Zealand),
and with inputs from the Human Rights Law Clinic of the University of
California Berkeley, will feature a combination of workshops, policy round-
tables, academic presentations, and awareness raising dialogues with
medical and legal faculty and students.
For further information, please write to info@refugeelawproject.org with
the subject heading “South-South Institute on Sexual Violence against Men
& Boys”
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