04 Institute for Justice and Reconciliation
The IJR at a Glance
The Institute’s work Having reached a milestone decade of its existence and operations, the IJR underwent a rigorous strategic review during 2011 and has since reformulated its medium-term objectives. In an effort to best reflect these developments, the Institute subsequently adapted the names of its different programmes, as well as those of certain projects, to more strategically align them with the reviewed objectives. This process was conducted in conjunction with a rebranding initiative from which the IJR’s new logo emerged as a more symbolic representation of the Institute’s work within Africa. This new logo, of which the IJR is very proud and which has received positive feedback from stakeholders, is used in this report. The recently revised programme and project names will also be referred to in this report.
The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) was founded in the wake of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2000 as the brainchild of several leading figures associated with the TRC. From its humble beginnings, the Institute has since grown to become a prominent voice for effective, responsive and participatory transitional justice and reconciliation processes in Africa. Its work is driven by a unique combination of community engagement, macro-trend research and comparative analysis that addresses the causes and consequences of conflict, which combined, contributes towards: • responsive and effective national policies; • innovative practices, processes and mechanisms; • knowledge and skills transfer; and • inclusive social and economic change at community level. Today, the IJR’s work spans eight countries on the African continent. The Institute is humbled by the trust that has been vested in it by governments and civil society organisations in partner countries, and is appreciative of the opportunity that it has been afforded to contribute to change and renewal in a continent with such abundant potential.
Vision Building fair, democratic and inclusive societies in Africa.
Mission Statement The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation seeks to shape national approaches to transitional justice and reconciliation in Africa by drawing on community intelligence, as well as macrotrend research and comparative analysis. The IJR has formulated five medium-term objectives (MTOs) which the Institute pursues across all its programmes. Naturally, these goals are not exclusively influenced by the Institute’s interventions, but are also dependent on external factors.
MTO 1
Policy processes are influenced by research, analysis and diverse community perspectives The first objective relates to monitoring and influencing policy processes by distributing a wide range of analyses, research and information to stakeholders. This is done through various means of communication including, but not limited to, publishing opinion articles in newspapers; the production of high-level research publications, policy briefs and conference papers and the public presentations as well as the hosting of public dialogue sessions. These initiatives are not only aimed at high-level policy-makers, but also seek to create awareness amongst community leaders and educators who form a crucial link between policy processes and the actual implementation thereof. As a result, the abovementioned and related activities not only aim to inform opinion on socio-economic justice in societies, but are also intended to inspire and mobilise stakeholders to use practical insights and knowledge.
MTO 2
Stakeholders gain and use knowledge about justice and reconciliation The second objective contributes towards the growth of knowledge and applying it to policy and societal development. The IJR therefore not only works to maintain its status as a respected source regarding issues of transitional justice, but is also dedicated to constantly gaining new insight and perspectives about how best to communicate its wealth of information. The IJR operates in an environment where reliance on theory has its limits. The search for justice and reconciliation may differ quite considerably from one context to another, also given that the capacity on the continent to shape information about justice and reconciliation remains low. Therefore, the Institute is committed to producing regular and current analyses and research, which is shared with its diverse range of stakeholders, to inform crucial decision-making processes in transitional societies. The Institute’s