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In his scholarly article, “Dealing with painful memories and violent pasts”, Brandon Hamber explains and reflects on “the relationship between how individual (largely victim) processes of coming to terms with mass atrocity (a micro perspective) relate to the collective or political process of finding ways of dealing with the past (a macro perspective)” (Hamber 2015, 2). In any discussion of war, mass atrocities, political repression and their impact, one is unavoidably forced to think about this relationship and deal with it – to confront the challenge of having to talk about both perspectives without being able to fully integrate them or grasp their linkage in all its complexity. Hamber does a masterful job in confronting this inherent problem but inevitably succumbs, at least in part, to the impossibility of the task. The reason for this might be what I call “the psychosocial gap”, and I believe this needs closer examination.

• Year 2015
• Author(s) David Becker

As I cannot do justice in this short paper to every point Hamber makes in his engaging and thoughtful article I have chosen to discuss a few points, drawing on my personal experiences of war in my homeland Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). First, I will provide an overview of the war in BiH and its nexus with trauma. I will question the transition process, reflecting on the blurred line between “conflict” and so-called “postconflict”, and argue that war in BiH is not over yet; it is just being fought with other means. In the second part of the paper, I will discuss competing victimhood(s), ethnic identities and the parallel narratives that are a feature of the BiH transitional processes and that present obstacles to any attempts at reconciliation. Finally, I will suggest that in order to build a shared narrative of war it is important to intertwine the experiences of all victims and to draw on positive stories of courage and sacrifice in the midst of war, to restore the faith of Bosnian people in humanity and coexistence.

• Year 2015
• Author(s) Olivera Simić

Brandon Hamber’s essay addresses two important questions: “What is the role of different approaches for dealing with painful memories and violent pasts?” and “How do the different dimensions – interpersonal and intergroup relations, memories, and identities at the individual and collective level – relate to one another?” (Hamber 2015, 2). These questions open up a universe of additional topics related to the cultural context, societal preconditions and obstacles to dealing with the past in post-war societies. I read his remarks against the background of my field of work in the South Caucasus. Here I engage as a historian, having specialised in Soviet and post-Soviet war memory, and as a dialogue practitioner striving to make use of scientific concepts and findings for establishing a sound and resilient peacebuilding system in the region.

• Year 2015
• Author(s) Andrea Zemskov-Zuege

The book presents empirical studies, theoretical discussions, and practical experience from initiatives for dealing with the past in the region of former Yugoslavia. It engages scholars and practitioners from the region, as well as international experts, to reflect on the achievements in transitional justice and obstacles that characterise efforts to deal with the past. Drawing variously on empirical studies, theoretical discussions, and practical experience, their contributions offer invaluable insights into the complex relationship between transitional justice and conflict transformation.

• Year 2016

يسـلط هـذا التقريـر الضـوء علـى مجموعـة رئيسـية مـن األطـراف الفاعلـةُ ّعـد هـذا التقريـر بنً ـاء علـى فـي عمليـات السـام: الوسـطاء الداخلييـن. وقـد أ الخبـرة المكتسـبة أن أغلـب عمليـات السـام الرسـمية قـد بـدأت مـن خـالُ لحقـت بهـا، وقـام أنـاس متفانـون مـن مناطـق عمليـات سـام غيـر رسـمية أو أ الصـراع وعلـى معرفـة متعمقـة بـه بتسـهيل عمليـات السـام تلـك. مــن أجــل استكشــاف الــدور المحــدد للوســطاء "الداخلييــن" المحلييــن واإلقليمييــن فــي عمليــات الســام الحاليــة، قامــت مؤسســة بيرغهــوف، بالتعـاون مـع مشـروع دعـم الوسـاطة التابـع لمؤسسـة السـام السويسـرية ومركــز الدراســات األمنيــة )CSS )فــي المعهــد السويســري الفيدرالــي للتكنولوجيــا ETH بزيوريــخ، بدعــوة مجموعــة مــن الوســطاء الداخلييــن مــن مختلــف أنحــاء العالــم )الجزائــر، بورونــدي، جمهوريــة الكونغــو الديمقراطيــة، ألمانيــا، كينيــا، قيرغيزســتان، مقدونيــا، مالــي، المكســيك، نيبــال، الفلبيــن، ســريالنكا، سويســرا وأوغنــدا(.

• Year 2015
• Author(s) Simon Mason

The policy brief examines different approaches and initiatives for transitional justice and reconciliation that have been implemented since the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) ended the war in Bosnia in 1995. It highlights achievements and innovative approaches in processes of dealing with the past as well as shortcomings and obstacles for reconciliation.

• Year 2016
• Author(s) Martina Fischer

In all the post-war regions in which we engaged – together with a variety of partners – over the past two decades, we faced the crucial question of how to deal with traumatic experiences, painful memories and war-related identities. In many societies emerging from war, people are constantly dealing with the past in one way or another, although with diverging and often even opposing purposes. Transitional justice strategies have become an important element of post-war reconstruction programmes established by international organisations and donors. Recommendations for these programmes tend to include war crimes prosecution by international, hybrid or domestic courts, truth commissions, lustration of state administrations, symbolic reparations or material compensation, as well as psychosocial support for those affected by the wars, incentives for societal dialogue, or initiatives that provide space for “working through” or alternative views on history. However, there is still a lack of knowledge of how the different transitional justice approaches impact on societies affected by violence, on groups as well as individuals.

• Year 2016

This paper provides key insights on the concept, design and tailoring of I4P processes to national contexts. It also looks at the experiences of five different countries where efforts were made to nurture such peace structures - South Africa, Ghana, Tunisia, Nepal and Thailand (Deep South), and provides comparative insight from the design and implementation of particular components of I4P, in particular national dialogues, local peace committees and insider mediation. Finally, it elaborates on recommendations to improve the role UNDP can play in promoting and supporting I4P- both in conceptual terms and in practice. It was published in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC).

• Year 2016
• Author(s) Hans-Joachim Giessmann

The paper provides key insight on the factors that might explain why some armed groups undergo effective transformations from engaging in war and violence to participating in peaceful political processes, while others fail to implement or consolidate their political project. Highlighting the critical role played by the UN system in these contexts, in particular peacekeeping and political missions, it argues that development actors operating globally, such as UNDP, are also well placed to bring a broad range of expertise and instruments when supporting these transformative processes. However, it underscores that enhancing inter-agency collaboration between UNDP and actors directly involved in political processes will be essential in supporting this work, citing the Joint UNDP-DPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention as a particularly effective mechanism in this regard.

• Year 2016
• Author(s) Véronique Dudouet, Katrin Planta, Hans-Joachim Giessmann

In some countries, more civilians are being killed by armed gangs and criminal organisations than in traditional combat. Still, these pockets of armed social violence – “Undeclared wars” marked, among other things, by criminal, gang and/or urban violence – have long received much less attention than politically motivated forms of armed conflicts. As their effects – social-political destabilisation, in some cases coinciding with high numbers of victims – are becoming more pressing, national and international actors have begun addressing the phenomenon.

• Year 2016
• Author(s) Bernardo Arévalo de León, Ana Glenda Tager