Theory & Practice of Reconciliation

This course is concerned with understanding and embracing a form of justice that satisfies human need and promotes reconciliation. Beginning with key theoretical underpinnings and a multi-disciplinary approach to concepts of justice and reconciliation, this course will explore the contemporary applications of justice and reconciliation in post-war settings, both locally and internationally. Presenter and participants will critique and compare various popular expressions of societal justice and reconciliation through structures such as: The International Criminal Court (ICC), Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRC), Restitution / Reparations, and Reintegration Strategies. In addition, various parallel and collective indigenous justice efforts will be studied and compared with the dominant justice systems. Of particular interest are the growing innovations in new hybrid justice models that attempt to satisfy the collective needs of traumatized societies, and the continued search for how to ensure a future transmission of generational justice that is embedded with a concern for the common good and reconciliation.