Call for Presenters - Advocating Justice Workshop

African Transitional Justice Research Network Workshop “Advocating Justice: Civil Society and Transitional Justice in Africa”             Johannesburg, South Africa, 30-31 August 2010 Call for Participants/Presenters The African Transitional Justice Research Network (http://www.transitionaljustice.org.za/)—dedicated to strengthening the research and advocacy capacity of Africa-based transitional justice actors and to providing a forum for professional support and critical engagement—is inviting African transitional justice practitioners and scholars to present critical reflection papers at the workshop, “Advocating Justice: Civil Society and Transitional Justice in Africa,” to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 30-31 August 2010. The objective of the workshop is to bring together practitioners and scholars in order to share experiences and evaluate African civil society’s engagement with transitional justice (TJ) on the continent. The workshop is intended to encourage individuals and organisations to document their advocacy efforts related to influencing government TJ policies before, during or after transition. It will provide an opportunity to discuss experiences, assess lessons about advocacy strategies, and forge links among participants and their institutions. Instead of focusing on TJ processes and their impact, the workshop will examine and highlight local civil society’s (central) role in shaping African TJ agendas through its lobbying efforts. Workshop participants are being sought to present country-specific case studies of local organisations’ TJ lobbying projects or campaigns—their agendas, activities, and successes and failures. Presenters must have direct knowledge of the range of local civil society efforts in the country on which they are focusing. Each presenter is to reflect on the specific policy challenges the project(s)/campaign(s) aimed to address the local transitional context, how organisations developed their lobbying agendas, the influence of local networks and international partners, funding constraints, the strategies they employed when lobbying government, and the impact of these strategies. We are also seeking broader thematic analyses of African civil society’s engagement with TJ issues that are especially relevant to the African context, either spanning various countries or focusing on regional and continental institutions. Examples of thematic analyses are: civil society’s approaches in pushing for particular TJ mechanisms or reparations, efforts to mainstream gender in truth commission processes, the influence of international and regional bodies on local lobbying initiatives, advocacy related to institutional reform, and so on. These presenters need to discuss the relevance of the issue to the continent, and to examine trends in African civil society lobbying in relation to that issue, highlight key successes, and draw out lessons regarding advocacy strategies. More detailed guidelines on the topics and issues to cover will be provided. Evaluation of past experience and lessons for future engagement should be central to both the country-specific and the thematic presentations. The workshop will aim to provide a comfortable space for critically examining experiences and exploring promising advocacy options. It will also create opportunities for continuing engagement among individuals and organisations, as well as for future advocacy and research collaborations. Those interested in presenting at the workshop should contact ATJRN Regional Coordinator Nokukhanya Mncwabe at nmncwabe@csvr.org.za (phone: +27-21-448-3673). Prospective presenters should submit a short resume (indicating particularly their organisational affiliations) and a one-page outline of their proposed paper by 28 June 2010. The deadline for submitting the final paper is 20 August 2010. The recommended length of the final paper is between 5 000 and 6 000 words. Each presenter will receive a modest honorarium, and all his or her travel and accommodation costs for the workshop will be covered.

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