This briefing note summarizes the discussions during a workshop organized on 7 November 2014 at the Juba Civic Engagement Center in Juba, South Sudan.
The meeting was part of the “Intersections of Truth, Justice and Reconciliation in South Sudan” program – a 2-year research project that started in November 2014. The project is being implemented by the UPEACE The Hague, in cooperation with the South Sudan Law Society (SSLS) and PAX.It is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a part of the ‘Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law’, and is administered by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).
The project takes a holistic approach to understanding violence, and investigates people’s experiences in seeking justice in relation to both conflict-related and non-conflict-related violence. The three main research questions are:
- What are the strengths, weaknesses and interrelationships of different types of justice systems (both statutory and customary)?
- What opportunities for reform can be identified in order to bring justice services into greater conformity with user needs?
- What existing and potential opportunities for truth, justice and reconciliation can be identified in South Sudan with regard to the past and present conflicts?
