Cambridge University Press Transitional Justice, International Assistance, and Civil Society: Missed Connections

In recent years, transitional justice has become increasingly international in its scope. Due to ongoing animosities, lack of political will, and the absence of credible governing or judicial institutions, international organizations, donors, and NGOs advocate for transitional justice initiatives like truth commissions or special tribunals - alongside national actors, like civil society and victims groups. This book examines how international assistance affects transitional justice, and where power truly lies in making decisions about justice for victims of massive human rights abuse. The book finds that government donors typically lack strategies for transitional justice, they struggle with information deficits, and they are constrained by short-term approaches that do not give enough attention to what is often a weak and divided civil society sector. All the authors have both practical and scholarly perspectives on transitional justice. Country case studies are provided, including descriptions of the challenges in developing data on transitional justice financing. Book Description Explores how international assistance shapes transitional justice around the world, and asks how civil society can play a larger role in them. About the Author Paige Arthur is Deputy Director of the Center on International Cooperation (CIC) at New York University. She is the editor of Identities in Transition: Challenges for Transitional Justice in Divided Societies (Cambridge, 2011).Christalla Yakinthou is a Birmingham fellow with the Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security, and the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birmingham. She is the author of Political Settlements in Divided Societies (2009), and the co-editor of Conflict Management in Divided Societies: Theories and Practice (2011).