From Peacemaking to Dealmaking? Transitional Justice in a New Era
Lecture/debate
For a long time, it was presumed that peace processes follow a clear and linear path: from violent conflicts to negotiations and peace agreements, to justice and reconciliation, which would eventually lead to peace.
Today this assumption no longer holds. In recent years, the number of negotiated peace agreements to end conflicts has declined. Instead, many conflicts these days end in other ways, as in the military victory in Syria in 2024. Moreover, sometimes peace is considered to be a business deal.
Drawing on various examples, Ingrid Samset will reflect on the potential and pitfalls of transitional justice in contemporary peace processes. What’s the relevance of transitional justice when peacebuilding no longer follows a linear path? How does this compare with historical patterns of transitional justice?