International Journal of Rule of Law, Transitional Justice and Human Rights, Year 2, Volume 2

Abstract

Each year the International Summer School Sarajevo (ISSS) attracts motivated young people to discover, study and explore the intriguing issues of human rights and transitional justice. In 2011 the ISSS team and alumni celebrated its fifth anniversary. From 2006 to 2011 ISSS has grown and gained reputation of the vehicles for change in the region of South-East Europe. More importantly, thanks to the significant contribution of the lecturers, distinguished experts in related fields, the ISSS has encouraged participants from Asia, Europe, Latin America and US to continue their education, advocacy and human rights work in many countries around the world. As of its beginning, the ISSS was imagined as a forum aiming at strengthening relations between transitional justice and human rights as diverse and vibrant fields.

Human rights violations are classified as severe in transitional societies urging human rights international organizations, non-governmental organizations and national governments to redress these violations in accordance with the international human rights standards necessary to be implemented in practice. As an emerging approach to systematic and massive violations of human rights, transitional justice aims at providing redress to victims and creating a platform for the transformation of the systems to address causes and sources of violations. Therefore, the ISSS seeks to empower its participants as future decision makers with the necessary tools to work in transitional settings towards sustainable political systems.

Volume 1 of the International Journal on Rule of Law, Transitional Justice and Human Rights has been well received by academia and practitioners. The Journal has also found its place at university libraries worldwide. With the aim of wider distribution and general access, the Journal remains open to public as it represents Pravnik‘s determination to contribute to the discussion on rule of law, transitional justice and human rights as well as to human rights education and training. The articles presented in the second volume of the Journal once again present work of the ISSS alumni. Selected topics represent variety of issues and approaches encouraged by the ISSS organizing team and the editor of the Journal. The goal is to promote an interdisciplinary approach and build bridges between academia and practitioners.

The stimulating ideas and new strategies proposed by the authors in this volume concerning different areas of transitional justice and rule of law could also be an important tool to assist decision makers in tailoring their policies. Finally, promoting work of young professionals through publishing their papers Pravnik considers as an important part of its mission as the Journal contributes to raising voices of young people promoting them as future policy and decision makers.

Keywords: International Journal, rule of law, transitional justice and human rights, international summer school Sarajevo, Association Pravnik

JEL Classification: K33, K10