Peace v. Justice
In trying to stop conflict and save lives, do we prioritize peace or justice? Do we try to get Joseph Kony or Moammar Gadhafi behind bars, or do we let them slink into luxurious retirement in exchange for a quicker peace deal? Are criminal trials at the International Criminal Court (ICC) the paragon of justice? Or should international efforts be directed to facilitate local reconciliation ceremonies, national truth-telling processes, or reparations to victims? Such questions reinvigorate age-old debates in international politics: What rules lead to a sustainable peace? And can such rules be applied fairly, so they bind the strong as well as the weak?
Over the next two weeks, the Canadian International Council, in collaboration with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, will host a series of articles discussing these issues. More…
Interview
Holding officials to account for human rights violations was once unimaginable. Today it is commonplace. An interview with Professor Kathryn Sikkink on what has changed. More…
Interview
In Uganda, Sudan and Libya, the International Criminal Court (ICC) closed off space for peace negotiations. Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri explains why the ICC must tread carefully. More…
Interactive Graphic
Since the ICC came into existence in 2002, it has opened seven official investigations, all of them in Africa. This interactive map details each one. More…
Essay
Dr. Vinjamuri, along with Doug Saunders and Max Boot, argue that the ICC backed Gadhafi into a corner. But Mark Kersten isn’t so sure. More…
Essay
In the aftermath of Kenya’s violent elections, the ICC took on six officials. The University of Ottawa’s Stephen Brown takes on the ICC four years later. More…
Interview
When it comes to international justice, no Canadian has done more than Louise Arbour. Her conversation with Stephen Toope. More…
Essay
There’s warfare and then there’s lawfare. Alana Tiemessen looks at the contradiction of replacing acts of war with acts of law. More…
Essay
Later his month, Charles Taylor will be sentenced for war crimes. Valerie Oosterveld looks at what his trial means for women in Sierra Leone and beyond. More…
Essay
General Butt Naked. Rosalind Raddatz profiles a man with a funny name, a horrid past and a desire to make amends. More…
Essay
East Timor is one of the world’s newest countries. Simon Collard-Wexler examines how it is struggling to balance accountability for the past with stability in the future. More…
Essay
Last year, after 22 years of civil war, South Sudan became the world’s newest state and, for the first time in a generation, things looked to be on the upswing. Not so anymore, writes The Fate of Sudan author John Young. More…
Essay
Kony2012 shone the international light back on Northern Uganda. Lara Rosenoff Gauvin reflects on what is happening there. More…
Essay
Libya, Kenya, Liberia… Canada? Kim Stanton reflects on Canada’s own Truth and Reconciliation Commission. More…
