Civil society organisations' influence on governmental transitional justice measures regarding victims' justice - A comparative study of the organisations ALGES in El Salvador and AYINET in Uganda
Author
Frisch, Amelie Lisa
Term
4. term
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-05-30
Pages
70
Abstract
Overgangsretfærdighed handler om, hvordan samfund håndterer fortidens vold efter krig eller undertrykkelse. Den omfatter tiltag som erstatninger til ofre, strafferetlig retsforfølgelse og sandhedsfortælling. Feltet kritiseres ofte for at være for ensartet og for at overse nationale forhold, og derfor får lokale initiativer større betydning, når regeringer udformer sådanne tiltag. Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan lokale civilsamfundsorganisationer forsøger at påvirke statslige tiltag med fokus på retfærdighed for ofre. Det ser på organisationernes retfærdighedsforståelser, de hindringer de møder, og hvordan de opfatter regeringers positioner. To organisationer fungerer som case: Association of the War Wounded of El Salvador, Heroes of November 1989, og den ugandiske NGO African Youth Initiative Network. Undersøgelsen bygger på interviews om deres arbejde i postkonfliktsamfund, suppleret med sekundære kilder. Den analytiske ramme bruger konstruktivisme, som betoner hvordan ideer og normer former aktører og politik, til at forklare, hvordan organisationer kan påvirke regeringer. Derudover anvendes Laplantes teori om et retfærdighedskontinuum til at kortlægge de forskellige måder, organisationerne forstår retfærdighed på. Specialet introducerer også centrale begreber i overgangsretfærdighed og giver baggrund om borgerkrigene og eksisterende tiltag i El Salvador og Uganda. Analysen viser, at begge organisationer bruger fortalervirksomhed og dialog på lokalt, nationalt og internationalt niveau og tilpasser deres handlinger og krav til lokale forhold. De prioriterer retfærdighed forskelligt i deres mål og henvendelser til staten og møder udfordringer, der udspringer af hvert lands historie. I begge tilfælde blev regeringerne primært opfattet som faciliterende for civilsamfundets deltagelse i processen. Samlet set peger specialet på, at selv når civilsamfundsaktører anvender lignende strategier, tilpasses deres tilgang, udfordringer og krav til den lokale kontekst. Forskellene afspejler tidligere statslige tiltag, statens rolle i konflikten og bredere historiske baggrunde.
Transitional justice refers to how societies address past violence after war or repression. It includes measures such as reparations for victims, criminal prosecutions, and truth-telling. The field is often criticized for being too generic and overlooking national contexts, which makes local initiatives increasingly important when governments design these policies. This thesis examines how local civil society organizations seek to shape government measures focused on justice for victims. It explores their understandings of justice, the obstacles they face, and how they view their governments’ positions. Two organizations serve as case studies: the Association of the War Wounded of El Salvador, Heroes of November 1989, and the Ugandan NGO African Youth Initiative Network. The research draws on interviews about their work in post-conflict societies, complemented by secondary sources. The analysis uses constructivism—which highlights how ideas and norms shape actors and policies—to explain how organizations can influence governments. It also applies Laplante’s justice continuum to map the different ways the organizations understand justice. The thesis outlines key concepts in transitional justice and provides background on the civil wars and existing measures in El Salvador and Uganda. Findings show that both organizations rely on advocacy and dialogue at local, national, and international levels, tailoring their actions and demands to local conditions. They express different justice priorities in their goals and requests to the state and face challenges rooted in each country’s history. In both cases, governments were mainly perceived as facilitating civil society participation in the transitional justice process. Overall, even when civil society groups use similar strategies, their approaches, challenges, and demands adjust to the local context. Differences reflect earlier government measures, the state’s role in the conflict, and broader historical backgrounds.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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