Social Movements and Transitional Justice ‘from below’: Exploring Grassroots Activism in Armed Conflicts and Post-Conflict Contexts

In recent years, a critical turn in the linkages between social movements and transitional justice studies has materialised, questioning the naturalness and effectiveness of conventional transitional justice theory and practice, envisioning a broader and more holistic project. This critical turn is interrogating what transitional justice ‘success’ looks like from a social movements and victims’ perspectives, exploring ways to overcome the crisis of legitimacy and effectiveness of transitional justice efforts.

In this context, the framework of transitional justice ‘from below’ has been used to explore perspectives where victims and social movements are addressed as actors with their own agency and organisational capability in temporal and normative aspects. Also, the concept of transitional justice ‘from below’ constitutes an abstract ideal that needs to be redefined by bringing into consideration the function and particularities of victims’ grassroots activism and social movements’ collective actions.

The aim of this session is to explore the relationship between social movements and transitional justice ‘from below’ in armed conflicts and post-conflict contexts. We are welcoming papers to address issues regarding

1) Theoretical and conceptual reflections concerning the relationship between social movements and transitional justice ‘from below’;

2) Methodological considerations regarding how to research the link between social movements, transitional justice, and transformative justice;

3) Analysis of case studies exploring grassroots activism in armed conflicts and post-conflict contexts;

4) Evaluate the challenges facing the critical turn in the linkages between social movements and transitional justice studies.