INVITATION: Hekima Peace Forum
Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR), Hekima University College
Topic: What does the Garissa Attack Tell Us? Exploring Spaces for Social Engagement & Strategic Response
Date: May 8th 2015 at 2:00pm
Speakers:
1) Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome: Advocate, Kenya High Court & Muslim Scholar
2) Mr. Nahashon Kariuki: Researcher and Coordinator: Research, Learning and Policy Programme Nairobi Peace Initiative-Africa (NPI-Africa)
3) PLO Lumumba – Director, Kenya School of Law/Advocate, Kenya/Tanzania High Court
Venue: HIPSIR, Riara Road
You are most welcome! Please be seated by1:50pm
RSVP: secretary.hipsir@hekima.ac.ke
Tel: 0729-755-905
APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR IJR TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME
August, 2015
JOHANNESBURG & CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
INVITATION TO AFRICAN NATIONALS
The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) is pleased to announce the convening of a three week intensive Transitional Justice in Africa Fellowship Programme. This is a residential programme which will be held in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa from 2 -22 August 2015. This year’s Fellowship Programme will be open to African nationals living on the African continent. Applicants from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Somalia and Zimbabwe will be given preference. We are now inviting qualified individuals to apply to this esteemed programme.
Background to IJR:
The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation was established in 2000 in the wake of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to promote reconciliation, transitional justice and democratic nation-building in Africa by means of research, analysis and selective intervention. Located at the interface between civil society and academia, it contributes to the building of fair, democratic and inclusive societies in countries undergoing political transition including: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
The South African phase of the Fellowship Programme will be organised by and hosted within the Justice and Reconciliation in Africa Programme (JRA) which is one of three IJR programmes. The other two programmes are the Building an Inclusive Society Programme (BIS) and the Policy and Analysis Programme (PA). The JRA works at three complimentary and mutually supportive levels with African societies in transition, namely: engaged research and analysis, capacity building, and collaborative political intervention. The Institute seeks to achieve a creative balance between justice and reconciliation, development and human security, as well as contributing to the reconstruction of countries ravaged by war and oppression.
The Fellowship Programme:
The IJR has been hosting Fellows from countries in political transition in Africa since 2000. The programme was designed to attract and bring together scholars and practitioners in the field of transitional justice to compare, reflect, research and write on their experiences and lessons learned from activities, projects and programmes in their respective countries.
A rigorous selection process will ensure the targeting of mid-career professionals working with affected communities in the field of transitional justice in sub-Saharan Africa and who are in positions to influence policy processes and disseminate their Fellowship Programme experience through practical activities when they return home. Fellows will be appointed based on their positions as opinion leaders and/or policy makers in their respective home countries and are required to convincingly show their ability to develop initiatives and interventions in their home-countries to advance the transitional justice and reconciliation agenda. In addition, they must submit an institutional endorsement of their participation and commitment to implement at least one follow-up activity in-country.
The programmes’ purpose is to enhance participants’ skills and knowledge, with a particular focus on issues related to reconciliation and social cohesion within the context of transitional justice. Accordingly, the Fellowship Programme will engage with some of the key literature, themes, and mechanisms and will supplement teachings with practical experiences, interaction with local organisations working in related fields and guided visits to historically significant sites and institutions dealing with reconciliation and justice.
Elements of the Fellowship Programme:
The Fellowship Programme aims to effectively equip participants to address challenges specific to democratic transitions by exposing them to various transitional justice tools. It encompasses the following elements:
- Interactive presentations and dialogue sessions on transitional justice by leading practitioners and academics in the field
- Visits to relevant museums and memorials in Cape Town and Johannesburg;
- Joint project development for in-country follow up transitional justice programming;
- A public debate on justice and reconciliation in Africa at IJR, featuring presentations by the fellows;
- Diaspora dialogues (optional)
- Ample time to engage IJR staff, its work and its in-house library.
It is hoped that participants will deepen their familiarity with the growing field of transitional justice theory and then apply this theoretical framework to the practical challenges currently facing their country.
Fellows’ are strongly encouraged to document their reflections in the form of newspaper articles, policy briefs and/or working papers during and after the fellowship.
The IJR will cover all travel and accommodation costs for the duration of the fellowship and will provide a modest stipend for daily expenses.
To read the quarterly Fellows Alumni Network Newsletter as well as see a list of all IJR Fellows, click here.
Application requirements
To be considered eligible for this fellowship,you should meet the following criteria:
- A post-graduate degree in a discipline broadly related to Transitional Justice
- 4 to 5 years of relevant work experience in the realm of justice, reconciliation and/or social cohesion, social justice
- Good written and spoken English. This will be necessary to participate in group discussions.
If you are interested in applying for admission to this programme, please submit to us the following documents in English:
- A detailed resume or Curriculum Vitae of no more than 3 pages.
- The full contact details of 2 contactable references
- A 1-2 page letter of motivation indicating why you wish to participate in this programme
- A 1-2 page writing sample (you may include news or academic articles you have submitted or published)
- A letter of institutional endorsement of your suitability to participate in the Fellowship Programme from your employer/affiliated institution.
The closing date for applications is the 21st of May 2015. Telephonic interviews will be conducted in the week commencing 25 May and successful candidates will be notified no later than by the 16th of June 2015.
NB Please email your complete application to Ms Anthea Flink on aflink@ijr.org.za with ‘Application to 2015 Fellowship Programme: your name’ in the email subject line.
Only complete applications will be considered and only shortlisted candidates will be notified of the status of their application.
Click here to download this information in PDF format.
Action research in peacebuilding: call for submissions
Building peace via action research: African and selected case studies
In the Peacebuilding Programme at Durban University of Technology in South Africa, we encourage our postgraduate students to use an action research (AR) approach in their thesis work. We do this because we believe that one of the distinctive features of peace studies is that it should go beyond exploration and understanding and actually bring about more peaceful societies. A second motive is that when our students subsequently enter leadership positions, they will be much less likely to assume that a policy or plan of itself will bring about change. Their experience of AR will mean that they are aware of the challenges and complexities of bringing about change and the need to make careful provision for implementation and, very likely, on-going adjustments to the original plan.
We want to encourage the much wider use of AR, particularly in the area of peace studies. Therefore, in conjunction with University of Peace (Africa Programme), we are editing a book which will be published in e-book format in late 2015/early 2016 and which will have three parts.
Part 1 will comprise introductory chapters which will cover such issues as
- The case for AR and its limitations
- An initial consideration of some criticisms of AR, including whether AR is really research, whether it can be planned and whether it in fact builds peace.
Part 2 will be made up of case studies of AR in the peace studies field.
Part 3 will examine the implications of the case studies, including
- Lessons from the case studies
- The extent to which the case studies help deal with the criticisms of AR
- The challenges facing AR practitioners
- How to promote AR in African universities.
We therefore invite the submission of chapter drafts which document case studies of AR and which include the following:
- A clear statement of the problem which the research was intended to tackle
- A clear description of the AR processes which were planned and the ways in which these operated and were modified in the course of the project
- The data which was generated, including how it was collected/recorded and analysed
- The challenges faced in conducting the AR and the responses made to them
- An evaluation of the AR process
- The project’s outcomes.
We will edit the book, which will also go through UPEACE’s refereeing processes. Note that submissions which describe failed AR projects are also welcome.
The expected length for submissions is between 3 000 and 5 000 words. Referencing should follow the UPEACE citation style guide at http://www.apcj.upeace.org/style.cfm
Submissions must reach us by October 31st, 2015. Earlier submissions will be welcome.
By all means contact us with any questions
Sylvia Kaye and Geoff Harris Peacebuilding@dut.ac.za