January 29, 2009
Media contact: Kim Lawrence
Cell: 604-302-6257
Office: 604-864-4611
kim.lawrence@ufv.ca
UFV seminar looks at Canadians as peace-builders in troubled countries
Canada is well known for its contribution to various international peace-keeping operations. What is not as well known is the peace-building work that Canadians do abroad in various post-conflict and transitional societies. In recent years, Canada has made a substantial contribution to reconstruction efforts in Haiti, Southern Sudan, Afghanistan, and other troubled countries. Because justice and security are prerequisites to any lasting peace, many of these efforts are focused on rebuilding institutions, particularly justice and law enforcement institutions.
Canada’s efforts in this challenging field will be highlighted at a special lunch-time seminar at the University of the Fraser Valley next week. The seminar, entitled “The Challenge of Rebuilding Justice Institutions in Post-Conflict Society”, will feature four speakers with expertise in the field, and will be held in the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies on the UFV Abbotsford campus starting at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, Feb 6.
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UFV’s Global Development Institute (GDI) and the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy (ICCLR) are jointly offering the seminar. Four speakers will share their experiences in post-conflict situations and focus, in particular, on the work they conducted in Southern Sudan over the last 18 months. They are Dr. Terry Waterhouse, UFV School of Criminology and Global Development Institute; Eileen Skinnider, Associate, ICCLR and humanitarian affairs advisor to Médecins Sans Frontières; Mark Lalonde, Canpro Global and Associate of the ICCLR; and Yvon Dandurand, UFV Associate Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies. Together, they have been involved in projects to identify and disseminate best practices in the difficult field of peace building. They also recently co-authored a study called
Vulnerable Groups in Southern Sudan Prisons (UFV Press, 2008).
Read speaker bios.
The speakers will talk about the situation of vulnerable groups and their access to justice in post-conflict situations, the importance of addressing impunity for war crimes and the role of the International Criminal Court, the relevance of international human rights and justice standards, and the need to strengthen the rule of law and build the legitimacy and credibility of justice institutions.
“The task of rebuilding justice institutions in post-conflict and transition societies is not an easy one. The peace agreement (or truce) upon which peace-building efforts are predicated is usually both fragile and problematic,” says Yvon Dandurand, UFV’s Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. “Pre-existing social and ethnic conflicts are largely unresolved. Reconciliation efforts are slow to bear fruit. Demobilization and disarmament are still in progress and difficult, and confrontations often persist in parts of the country. Much of the social and physical infrastructure has been damaged, often beyond repair. In the meantime, the population is getting impatient waiting to experience the ‘dividends of peace’ and some level of public safety.”
In that context, the fledgling justice and security sector rarely has the capacity to deal convincingly with the crimes and human rights abuses that occurred before or during the conflict, according to Dandurand. “It barely manages to deal with every-day crime and disorder. Justice officials are not trusted, sometimes for very good reasons. Corruption is typically rampant and organized crime elements are attempting to take advantage of the security vacuum that persists.
“The international community faces many challenges when dealing with institution-building in states emerging from conflict,” Dandurand adds. “Various international organizations are involved in the reconstruction effort, not always with great success. The overarching reality of work in a post-conflict or transitional state is that many of the basic elements of effective criminal justice are absent, weakened, or corrupted. Even worse, the basic criminal justice infrastructure may be under active assault from parties who oppose the rule of law.”
The seminar will be held as part of UFV’s recognition of International Development Week. It will take place on Friday, Feb 6, from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies in University House (Building F) at UFV’s Abbotsford campus, 33844 King Rd. Registration is free, but pay parking is in effect, participants are required to rsvp by email to deborah.block@ufv.ca as a light lunch will be served.
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