Building fair, democratic and inclusive societies in Africa.
The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation shapes national approaches to transitional justice and reconciliation in Africa.
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News
WEBINAR INVITATION: Post-Covid-19: Creating a Global Society through a World Parliament
The Covid-19 pandemic revealed the deficiencies in international collaboration and multilateralism, a lack of preparedness and an effective coordinated global response. International organizations, including the UN and the World Health Organization, are dependent on the support and political will of member states. This webinar will discuss how the Post-Covid-19 world should focus on building a global society, that can [...]
‘Community’ During The COVID-19 Lockdown
The novel coronavirus pandemic, or COVID-19, has forced many of us inside our homes and asked of us to do something that does not come naturally to most human beings: stay away from each other. While social distancing- as it has come to be known- is crucial for curbing the spread of the virus and easing the pressure on [...]
Army and police violence spurs racial tensions
The excessive violence meted out to members of the public by soldiers of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) over the past weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown is fuelling racial tensions in South Africa, especially online. Their modus operandi exudes the long-lasting trauma of a country built on violence and structural oppression. During the Covid-19 outbreak, social media [...]
A resilient informal sector is more crucial than ever
Efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19 have seriously disrupted the economy, but it is informal workers who have been disproportionately affected. Not only has the government lockdown exposed how invisible the informal sector is to policymakers, but it has also created a moral dilemma for workers in that sector who must choose between abiding by the lockdown laws [...]
The democratic process of voting was wearing thin before lockdown
One year ago, on Friday May 8, something happened that would be unthinkable today. More than 17-million South Africans lined up around the country, without any concern for physical distancing, to cast their vote in the elections. Those elections seem like a lifetime ago. So much has changed since then and it seems increasingly difficult to imagine how so many [...]
Glaring climate change omissions in the African Union’s Transitional Justice Policy
Climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity today. Effects of climate change are being felt all over the planet albeit in an asymmetrical manner. For a long period of time Africa has been enduring climate crisis more than any other continent mainly because of its dependence on rainfall for agricultural purposes, and its history of high rates of social [...]
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the shadow pandemic of patriarchal GBV rages unchecked
The stories follow a script: countries declare a nationwide lockdown and within days helplines are inundated with complaints of domestic violence. We saw this in China, Brazil, Italy and more recently South Africa where 87,000 grievances were reported to the South African Police Services (SAPS) during the first week of lockdown. Frequently referred to as the “shadow pandemic”, the exponential increase in [...]
