Lecture in Berlin: Africa and the International Criminal Court — Building Bridges and Reaching Comprise

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Mark Kersten

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Dear (Berlin-based) Readers,

I am happy and very excited to announce a lecture that I will be giving entitled ‘Africa and the International Criminal Court — Building Bridges and Reaching Comprise’. The event will take place at the WZB in Berlin on 17 May at 18:00. I will be presenting findings from a research and policy paper on the Africa-ICC relationship that I have written in collaboration with colleagues at the Wayamo Foundation. Here are the details:

Africa and the International Criminal Court — Building Bridges and Reaching Comprise 

According to many observers African states and the International Criminal Court (ICC) are at loggerheads. Government leaders have derided the ICC as racist and neo-colonial in its pursuit of justice. A number of states have stated their intention to withdraw from the Court and one, Burundi, withdrew from the ICC in October 2017. At the same time, African communities affected by conflict have raised concerns about the impacts of the ICC and the apparent gap between the institution’s promise and what it can deliver. In such trying times many urgent questions arise: What is the future of the ICC-Africa relationship? What drives the antagonism of certain African states and communities towards the Court? What can be done to build bridges and reach compromises that enhance the ICC’s relationship with Africa whilst simultaneously strengthening the project of international justice?

Based on a newly released research and policy paper, this lecture will delve into these questions, elaborating the core motivations of African critiques of the Court, offering an detailed view into the current issues at the heart of the Africa-ICC relationship, as well as outlining concrete measures that can be taken to improve it. African states helped build the ICC; their engagement with the institution will determine what kind of Court — and indeed what kind of system of global justice — the world and its people can expect. 

The event is organised and moderated by Sassan Gholiagha.

More details and info for RSVP are available here.

If you are in (or near!) Berlin, please come join us. It would be great to see you — or see you again!

Mark

About Mark Kersten

Mark Kersten is an Assistant Professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, and a Senior Consultant at the Wayamo Foundation in Berlin, Germany. Mark is the founder of the blog Justice in Conflict and author of the book, published by Oxford University Press, by the same name. He holds an MSc and PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a BA (Hons) from the University of Guelph. Mark has previously been a Research Associate at the Refugee Law Project in Uganda, and as researcher at Justice Africa and Lawyers for Justice in Libya in London. He has taught courses on genocide studies, the politics of international law, transitional justice, diplomacy, and conflict and peace studies at the London School of Economics, SOAS, and University of Toronto. Mark’s research has appeared in numerous academic fora as well as in media publications such as The Globe and Mail, Al Jazeera, BBC, Foreign Policy, the CBC, Toronto Star, and The Washington Post. He has a passion for gardening, reading, hockey (on ice), date nights, late nights, Lego, and creating time for loved ones.
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2 Responses to Lecture in Berlin: Africa and the International Criminal Court — Building Bridges and Reaching Comprise

  1. daveyone1 says:
    May 9, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    Reblogged this on World Peace Forum.

    Reply

  2. Pingback: Lecture in Berlin: Africa and the International Criminal Court — Building Bridges and Reaching Comprise – Jehtro Lewis – Blog

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