PPX 431 Political Reconciliation (4 SH)

How should a society address the legacies of mass atrocities and human rights violations of the past? This course examines the issue of political reconciliation after armed conflicts and violent political transitions. Students will explore key issues and debates related to transitional justice such as criminal prosecutions and trials, truth commissions, reparations, official apologies, amnesty, guilt and denial, and forgiveness. Such frameworks of political reconciliation will be critically examined, asking how well these policies fulfill an ethic of peacebuilding as well as justice and help societies address their pasts marred by conflict, violence, and oppression. (Fall 2022)
Core: WI