Dealing with the Past
Dealing with a legacy of gross human rights violations is one of the most difficult challenges facing post-conflict societies. Experience suggests that there is a relationship between the ability of a society to address this legacy in a comprehensive and inclusive manner, including initiatives to address root causes, and its potential to develop sustainable peace.
In order to re-establish fundamental trust and accountability in society, there is a need to acknowledge publicly the abuses that have taken place, to hold those responsible who have planned, ordered, and committed such violations, and to rehabilitate and compensate victims. This process of Dealing with the Past (DwP) is a pre-requisite for reconciliation.
Why this Course?
The Human Security Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) is working in different regions and countries that are confronted with a legacy of massive human rights violations. In order to meet the challenge of addressing this legacy, the FDFA identified Dealing with the Past (DwP) as a priority topic for its peace promotion program and is committed to developing additional capacity and expertise in the area of DwP. To this end, it is offering an advanced learning course for Swiss and non-Swiss professionals to promote an exchange of experience from different contexts and to encourage the creation of a community of practitioners.