Transition Towards Democracy and Human Rights

Description

The Transition towards Democracy can be defined as a period of profound political change in the history of a country, when it transits from a state of political violence towards democratic peace, having to take charge of a legacy of human rights violations.

All measures of Transition towards Democracy must be guided by the following principles. First, it must aim to repair and prevent human rights violations. Second, it is essential to learn the whole truth about the past in order to give legitimacy to the measures adopted in the present. Third, the limits imposed by International Law must be respected in order to avoid two extremes: arbitrary punishments and impunity. 

In this course we will review these and other Transition towards Democracy concepts, as well as the main experiences throughout the world, including the cases of Chile, Argentina and South Africa.

Who is the target audience?

• Anyone interested in issues related to the transition to democracy, truth commissions, institutional recognition of human rights violations, etc.
• It is not necessary to have knowledge or previous experience in the area to take the course