KVVS2101 Optional studies in Intercultural Communication (2–5 cr)

Serious violations of human rights that constitute international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes have taken place in a number of societies in the last decades. In order to punish the perpetrators and deliver justice to victims, the international community has established a series of international courts and tribunals that address these atrocities. These international justice institutions have included the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Additionally, human rights bodies such as the European and Inter-American Courts of Human Rights have addressed the said gross abuses within their mandates.

In this regard, the present course analyses the work conducted by these international justice institutions in the light of international law as complemented with inter-disciplinary perspectives. The course consists of a selection of topics stemming from the practice of these international justice institutions such as participation of victims in international criminal proceedings, use of media to incite genocide, compensatory and symbolic reparations, use of amnesties in societies in post-conflict/post-dictatorship transition, terrorism, as well as religious and/or cultural-related dimensions.

The course combines lectures with seminars and working groups. No previous knowledge of international law is required. Indeed, the topics and nature of this course are flexible enough to enable post-graduate and undergraduate students to enrol regardless of their previous background.

Serious violations of human rights that also constitute international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes have taken place in a number of societies in the last decades. To punish the perpetrators and deliver justice to victims, the international community has established a series of international courts and tribunals that address these atrocities. These international justice institutions have included the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. Importantly, the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice have also addressed the said gross abuses within their respective mandates.

In this regard, the present course analyses the work conducted by these international justice institutions in the light of international law as complemented with inter-disciplinary perspectives. The course starts with a general discussion of the nature, main characteristics, contributions, and limitations of these international justice institutions as complemented with some introductory international law notions. Then, the course consists of a selection of topics stemming from the practice of these international justice institutions such as the use of mass media to incite genocide, victim participation in justice proceedings, attacks against historical and religious buildings, compensatory and symbolic reparations to redress harm, terrorism, use of amnesties in societies in post-conflict or post-dictatorship transition as well as religious, ethnic, and culture-related dimensions of atrocity cases. The cases selected correspond to serious violations of human rights and/or international crimes committed around the world.

The course consists of lectures. No previous knowledge of international law is required. Indeed, the topics and nature of this course are flexible enough to enable post-graduate and undergraduate students to enrol regardless of their previous background.

Serious violations of human rights that also constitute international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes have taken place in a number of societies in the last decades. To punish perpetrators, find the responsibility of states, and/or deliver justice to victims, the international community has established a series of international courts and tribunals that address these atrocities. These international justice institutions have included the International Criminal Court, the European Court of Human Rights, and the International Court of Justice within their respective mandates.

In this regard, the present course analyses the work conducted by these international justice institutions in the light of international law as complemented with inter-disciplinary perspectives. The course first discusses the nature, characteristics, contributions, and limitations of these international justice institutions plus some introductory international law notions. Then, the course consists of a selection of topics stemming from the practice of three international justice institutions that deal with atrocities: the International Criminal Court, the European Court of Human Rights, and the International Court of Justice. These topics include: victim participation in justice proceedings, attacks against historical and religious buildings, compensatory and symbolic reparations to redress harm, use of amnesties/pardons in societies in post-conflict or post-dictatorship transition as well as religious, ethnic, and culture-related dimensions of atrocity cases. The cases selected correspond to serious violations of human rights and/or international crimes committed in different regions.

The course consists of five lectures. The examination method is a take-home exam submitted by each student. No previous knowledge of international law is required. Indeed, the topics and nature of this course are flexible enough to enable post-graduate and undergraduate students to enrol regardless of their previous background. If you need more information, you are warmly encouraged to contact the lecturer (juan.p.perez-leon-acevedo@jyu.fi).