The Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) Dealing with the Past explores how societies emerging from violence and conflict deal with the past and prepare for the future. The program runs from fall to fall. The three modules take place at the cultural center kHaus in Basel or in a virtual format.
Finding a way to deal with a violent past is often argued to be the basis for lasting peace, democracy, and the rule of law. This may involve dealing with crimes that occur during armed conflict, authoritarian regime or occupation, and addressing the legacy of colonial rule. In the CAS Dealing with the Past, you will critically discuss such processes, study and compare concrete case studies and reflect about transformative approaches to dealing with the past.
Your benefits:
- Get familiar with the most important notions, concepts, and mechanisms relevant to transitional justice and dealing with the past (truth commissions, archives, criminal and restorative justice mechanisms, reparation programs, memorialization, and guarantees of non-recurrence, etc.);
- explore and compare how dealing with the past processes have been designed and implemented in different contexts;
- learn about the role of documenting and archiving practices;
- reflect about the relevance and potential of dealing with the past for conflict prevention, as well as the complementarities and potential tensions of human rights and conflict transformation approaches;
- explore how dealing with the past relates to contexts with a colonial legacy, the fight against corruption and asset recovery;
- exchange experiences and become part of a community of practice.