Information about the webinars
Wednesday, September 1, 2021, 14:00-15:00 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Prof. Dr. Prabhakar Singh
Jindal Global Law School
From Universal to Omnipresent: Decolonisation as Epistemology in post-conflict Himalayan states
<<International legal history has so far overlooked that since Himalayan states in the 19th century that India touched borders with—Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, and Tibet—were non-Christian semi-sovereign nations, they did not register on Oppenheim’s compass with same evenness. While Buddhist Tibet was captured by China in the wake of post-colonial territoriality, the Buddhist Sikkim joined India as a result of an international agreement and a subsequent constitutional process. The inherited colonial bearings blinds the Indian legal mind to the reality that Nepal and Bhutan are semi-colonial states infused with different histories and post-colonialisms than India’s. Britain’s colonial conflicts with Nepal and Assam during the Nineteenth century occasioned the British practising the limits of British precedents in Asian territories that, I argue, lie at the root of the theory of “the Oriental despots”. In this talk I ask whether the “omnipresence” of the law of nations is a better lens over the quest for a “universal” international law?>>
Wednesday, September 1, 2021, 15:10-16:10 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Prof. Dr. Bülent Evre
Bahcesehir Cyprus University
A Multiplicity of Perspectives on Ethnic Conflicts
<< There is a close relationship between how to explain an ethnic conflict and its resolution. Adhering to a single perspective when examining ethnic conflicts in post-conflict societies, we reduce conflict ontologically to a single mode of existence and epistemologically to a single truth. A reductionism arising from the monist perspective, on the other hand, misses the diverse dimensions that need to be dealt with regarding the problem. Therefore, this study will integrate different perspectives on ethnic conflicts into a holistic framework as multi-perspective approach. The multi-perspective approach is based on both pluralist ontology and pluralist epistemology. In this framework, the paper will illustrate how each of the prominant perspectives such as realist conflict theory, social identity theory, social learning theory and social dominance theory focuses merely on an aspects of ethnic conflicts and will suggest integrating all of the perspectives as a multi-perspective approach which can shed light on various dimensions of ethnic conflict phenomena.>>
Wednesday, September 1, 2021, 16:20-17:20 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Erçakıca,
Bahcesehir Cyprus University
The Protection of Human Rights in Post Conflict Periods: An Evaluation Regarding the Roles of United Nations and European Union
<<Many human rights and freedoms are violated by the parties of the conflicts during conflict and post conflict periods. It is not easy to protect human rights during these periods, even though the existence of the international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Therefore, usually the support of international organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union is crucial for post conflict societies. The United Nations Security Council usually acts under The Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and take resolutions for protecting international peace and security, in this context. Additionally, peacekeeping operations can be established by the United Nations Security Council. Also, the European Union, under its Common Security and Defence Policy, can establish similar missions.>>
Wednesday, September 1, 2021, 18:00-19:00 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Lejla Balić
University of Sarajevo
Electoral system and political parties in consociational democracies – case study Bosnia and Herzegovina
<<The electoral system is the instrument that shapes political system of the state, affects the balance between executive and legislative power and profiles the party system. In consociational democracies the role of elections is specific, because the electoral system is created in such way as to ensure that large coalition of political leaders of different segments of a plural society forms government. However, the question arises s to how the electoral systems in the consociational society reflecets on the functionality od political institutions, the political responsibility of leaders and party system. All these issues will be analyzed on the example of Bosnia and Herzegovina.>>
Wednesday, September 1, 2021, 19:10-20:10 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Adnan Kadribasic
Association Pravnik Sarajevo
Power Sharing Mechanisms in Bosnia and Herzegovina: What Lessons for Other Post-Conflict Societies?
<< This webinar explores different power-sharing mechanisms which are result of peace-negotiations from the perspective of human rights. The webinar starts with a short introduction to the concept of political equality, explores different mechanisms which can be employed to achieve political equality to draw lessons from the power-sharing mechanisms in Bosnia and Herzegovina for other post-conflict society. The discussion topic for the webinar is to explore if Bosnia and Herzegovina is a fail democracy.>>
Thursday, September 2, 2021, 14:00-15:00 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Dr. Bojan Gavrilovic
Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights
Civil Society Organizations as a driving force promoting Justice for Atrocity Crimes in Iraq
<<Since 2003, Iraq has suffered internecine conflict and state collapse, degrading a once rich cradle of ancient ethno-religions and cultures. During the ISIL conflict in Iraq ethno-religious communities including Christians, Yazidis, Sabean-Mandaeans, Turkmen, Kaka’i, and Shabaks were particularly targeted. ISIL waged a genocidal campaign against these minorities across the Sinjar region and the Nineveh plains seeking to erase their presence in Iraq altogether. State obligation to ensure access to justice and reparations for gross human rights violations is well established under international law (ICL; IHRL). However, translating this obligation into an enforceable right, especially in the wake of mass atrocities, is anything but easy. This challenge will be illustrated on the case of post-ISIL Iraq where advances have been made but many obstacles to effective implementation remain. The case of Syria will be also highlighted. Furthermore, it will be discussed how civil society can influence the decision makers and align the justice agenda with survivors needs. >>
Thursday, September 2, 2021, 15:10-16:10 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Bárbara Pincowsca Cardoso Campos
Catholic University of Pereira, Colombia
TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN LATIN AMERICA
Transitional justice in transition? Economic, social, cultural and environmental rights in the foreground.
<<Since its origins until nowadays, the scope and limits of transitional justice have been at the core of sociolegal and political debates. One of these debates highlights the need of including specific measures in its mechanisms so that, besides dealing with past abuses, a more equitable society could also be built. In other words, it means that transitional justice mechanisms should address violations of economic, social, cultural and environmental rights (ESCER). The advocates of the synergy between transitional justice and ESCER arise especially among scholars and practitioners in the field of international human rights law. However, there are more skeptical views as to whether transitional justice efforts should incorporate this agenda. In this webinar we will critically explore the arguments, concerns and boundaries about the desirability and feasibility of including ESCER into transitional justice mechanisms.>>
Thursday, September 2, 2021, 16:20-17:20 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Dr. Carina Calabria
Federal University of Pernambuco Recife
TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN LATIN AMERICA
Truth commissions and economic, social, cultural and environmental rights in the foreground
<<The proliferation of institutions other than courts performing essential functions to justice is a constitutive element of modern states, specially those in transition to more robust democratic forms. At the international level, one result of the increasing legalisation of social and political affairs, particularly in the human rights field, is the proliferation of not only courts and tribunals, but also mechanisms of supervision, international organizations with a legal profile and other juridical or semi-juridical organs. At the domestic level, Public Prosecutor’s Offices, Ombudsman, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), Committees and Councils, and Truth Commissions, among others, evince the diversification of institutions with strong legal characteristics and functions. Focusing on the Latin American experience and on the ongoing debate about the synergy between transitional justice and economic, social, cultural and environmental rights (ESCER), this webinar will revise the impact of Truth Commissions for advancing justice and democracy in the region.>>
Thursday, September 2, 2021, 18:00-19:00 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Prof. Dr. Jan Erk,
University of Pretoria & University of Western Cape
Form and Function in Evaluating Long-term Constitutional Success: Learning from the Past, Gazing into the Future
<<As numerous Western-led constitutional initiatives in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa fail to deliver on almost all of their promises from 25 years ago, there is likely to be a period of soul-searching and reflection for the field of Constitutional Studies. One of the pressing questions is likely to be the failures of perfectly designed constitutional ‘best practices’ copy-pasted from the West. No matter how ideal in the abstract sense, most new constitutions and technocratic reforms could not reach and connect to the peoples, thus falling short of a grassroots embrace of the constitution amongst the public, necessary to consolidate homegrown constitutionalism and ensuring longevity. In exploring how to ensure the form of constitutions are endowed with the self-sustaining ability to serve their constitutional functions, we put Western and non-Western perspectives jointly to use to enrich the conceptual tools available to the field of constitutional studies. Attention is paid to not only the form of constitutions but also their function in terms of both reaching ideals (conceptualised in the positive sense of constitutional success) and staving off pitfalls (in the negative sense of success); and whether these are best achieved through piecemeal and gradual terms or a sudden big bang of comprehensive mega reforms. The conclusions come with both scholarly and applied insights: if constitutions need the lifeblood connecting them to a land and its peoples so that they would have the local self-sufficiency necessary to withstand and navigate the known and unknown challenges that lie ahead, we might have to temper our trust in perfectionism in the abstract.>>
Thursday, September 2, 2021, 19:10-20:10 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Gülay Umaner-Duba
Middle East Technical University, North Cyprus Campus
Constitutional Asymmetry as a Device for Diffusing Conflict in Multinational Contexts
<<The term “asymmetry” has been adopted as a purposive tool to address diversity as well as imbalance and inequality in a multinational federal state and to control the dissatisfaction of certain entities within a federal unit where such imbalances are highly evident. The ‘pluralism’ discussed in classical traditional federal theory is not associated with cultural pluralism but contemporary scholars have seen constitutional asymmetry as a mechanism for providing multinational diversity management that is clearly linked to a federal system by recognizing and adapting to the distinctive nationalist claims of sub-state nations. In addition, multinational federations have difficulties in recognizing their internal pluralism and have experienced problems with their political accommodation. The article presents an analysis of whether constitutional asymmetry is a condition for legitimacy and stability in federal systems..>>
Friday, September 3, 2021, 14:00-15:00 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Harun Išerić
University of Sarajevo
Battling hatred in post-conflict society via law: the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina
<<Hate is one of the basic factors that permeate every conflict and as such is one of the main threats to stability and reconciliation in a post-conflict society. Thus, it is necessary for such a society to sanction hatred in public space. These actions are reflected in hate crimes and hate speech regulation. Through the webinar, we shall discuss how such measures contribute to battling hatred in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as what other actions could be undertaken by the state in order to eliminate hatred from public discourse. We shall further discuss how international obligations contribute to state actions and what is the role of international and regional organizations in combating hatred.>>
Friday, September 3, 2021, 15:10-16:10 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Aydin Atilgan
Bahcesehir Cyprus University
De-facto Statehood As a Response to Post-Conflict Situations
<<De-facto states reflect profound ambiguity in terms of the definition of statehood. De-facto statehood appears as a political concept, as normative sources of the international legal order do not ostracize de-facto states at all. Such uncertainty in their legal status is a major reason of the permanence of “weak public” in these areas. This webinar will focus into the legal status of de-facto states in the international legal order and relevant issues. It will deal with this problem with regard to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus particularly, in a comparative perspective.>>
Friday, September 3, 2021, 16:20-17:20 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Prof. Dr. Rumana Islam
University of Dhaka
Securing Gender Justice in Post-Conflict Society: Application of Laws and Relevant Challenges
<<Securing gender justice is a big challenge in post conflict societies. Realization of gender justice in a post conflict society would ensure everybody both men and women and boys and girls will be valued equally and are able to share equitably the distribution of power, knowledge and resources and participate in activities of all spheres of life. Woman will not be subjected to oppression, repression and violence based on gender. Gender inequalities also affects men and boys in the society. It places unnecessary demands and expectations from the men in the society. In this age of large economic disparities in the societies, where economic and political power are concentrated among few elite, there are conflicts and displacement of whole communities. In addition to that, there uncertain climatic changes and the depletion of natural resources, it becomes very hard for the men and boys to live up with the traditional gendered expectations that most societies place on them. Securing gender justice in the society therefore brings greater freedom and wellbeing to all in the society. This is particularly important for a post conflict society where without equal opportunities women cannot participate and contribute to their families and societies and reduce the burden from the shoulder of men.>>
KEYNOTE LECTURE
Friday, September 3 2021, 17:30-19:00 GMT +3 (CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT TIME IN YOUR TIME ZONE)
Prof. Dr. Boaventura de Sousa Santos,
University of Coimbra & University of Wisconsin-Madison
Global South Epistemologies and Post-Conflict Societies
Program 2020:
Keynote by Prof. Dr. Stefan Oeter (University of Hamburg): Democratic Governance in International Law – Perils and Pitfalls
Prof. Dr. Jan Erk (University of Pretoria & University of Western Cape): Different Paths to Empowering (Indigenous) African Constitutionalism: The Promises, Pitfalls, Complications, and Consequences
Asst. Prof. Dr. Damir Banovic (University of Sarajevo): Constitutional System, Principles and Reform in the Post-Conflict State. The Case of Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Asst. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Ercakica (Beykent University): The Ending of the Conflict Period and Transitional Justice System in Colombia
Asst. Prof. Dr. Aydin Atilgan (Bahcesehir Cyprus University): De-facto statehood as a response to post-conflict situations
Prof. Dr. Besfort Rrecaj (University of Prishtina): Normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia as a key element to pacify the Balkans
Asst. Prof. Dr. Cemaliye Beysoylu (Independent): Issues of Sovereignty and Legitimacy in De facto States: The cases of North Cyprus and Kosovo
Adnan Kadribasic (Association Pravnik Sarajevo): Power sharing mechanisms in Bosnia and Herzegovina: what lessons for other post-conflict societies?
Dr. Felix Petersen (Hebrew Univeristy of Jerusalem): Political Conflict and Constitution-Making in Weimar Germany, 1918-1933
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amina Nikolajev: Environment in post conflict societies – case of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Güley Bor (Independent): Reparations for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Soohyun Lee (Lund University): Investment Liberalization as a Post-Conflict Development Strategy in Korea
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Soeren Keil (Canterbury Christ Church University): Federalism as a Tool of Conflict Resolution
Prof. Dr. Mark Meirowitz (SUNY Maritime College) The Impact of COVID-19 on Post-Conflict Societies: Challenges and Future Prospects
Program 2019:
Prof. Dr. Ebrahim Afsah (University of Vienna): Judiciaries in Times of Transition
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Soeren Keil (Canterbury Christ Church University):
Federalism and Conflict Resolution & New Federal Models: Bosnia, Myanmar, Syria
Prof. Dr. Ozan Erözden (MEF University): Introduction to Transitional Justice
Prof. Dr. Jan Erk (University of West Cape): Lessons from Africa’s Past for Federalism’s Future
Prof. Dr. Enver Hasani (University of Prishtina & Former President of Kosovan Constitutional Court): Constitutional System of Kosovo from a Transitional and Comparative Perspective & State Succession in the Context of Former Yugoslavia and the Place of Kosovo in it
Asst. Prof. Dr. Aydin Atilgan (Bahcesehir Cyprus University): State Building in Post-Conflict Societies
Asst. Prof. Dr. Midhat Izmirlija (University of Sarajevo): Transitional Justice in Post-Conflict Societies – Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Adnan Kadribasic (Pravnik Association Sarajevo): Political Equality in BiH –20 years afters Constitutional Peoples Decision and 10 years after Sejdic and Finci
Ergun Olgun (Former Chief Negotiator of TRNC): Cyprus – Between Virtual Conflict and Transition
Current Legal Issues in Post-Conflict and Transitional Societies 