19 December 2023
An end of year message from our Executive Director Marlies Stappers
Dear friends and partners,
As another impactful year draws to a close, I reflect on the efforts we’ve undertaken together to overcome impunity and make justice work.
This year marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It has been a poignant reminder of the universal values we stand for, and the collective responsibility we share in making them a reality.
In the midst of multiple crises and the growing belief that justice is pursued selectively (as we are witnessing in Palestine, for example) our combined efforts have played a critical role in furthering the notion that human rights ought to benefit everybody.
Through dedication and working in extremely challenging environments, our grassroots partners have achieved wins that make a profound contribution to the pursuit of justice, creating the necessary conditions for change.
Below I outline just a few examples.
Creating the conditions for change
In June, the UN General Assembly passed a historic resolution to establish an independent institution to clarify the fate of the missing in Syria. This is something that was not thought possible before.
The resolution is a huge victory for the victim associations who spent years advocating for it as part of the Truth and Justice Charter. It brings hope for dealing with cases of the missing in Syria. It’s also an inspiration to addressing similar cases globally. The next step will be to make the institution a reality. This includes providing it with the means to improve the lives of the victims and their families.
In Guatemala, few people expected the opposition politician Bernardo Arevalo to win the 2023 election. It was a democratic move that was telling of the public frustration with the systemic corruption and weaponisation of law in the country.
In the midst of an attempted “coup by lawfare”, indigenous communities have played a central role in defending the election results and advocating for human rights. In spite of historical discrimination against them, including acts of genocide, they have opted for non-violent protest.
Their actions provide a source of hope that change is possible. We must now rally behind them and ensure Guatemala has a chance to restore the rule of law.
Their actions provide a source of hope that change is possible.
And in Africa, the development of a transitional justice policy by the African Union (AU) was a big step towards ending violent conflict. The challenge has been how to include marginalised groups such as youth in the process, to help break cycles of violence.
This year, together with our partners, we made strides to increase youth engagement in transitional justice policies of the AU. We have worked to put issues that influence change in their communities on the agenda. These include mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and dealing with violent masculinities.
This is the first time we see these issues appear on the transitional justice agenda in Africa. Other regions should follow.
Each step we take, no matter how small, contributes to building a more just world.
In such a world, voices of victims and communities affected by violence are on the agenda, and impunity is no longer tolerated.
Building coalitions to strengthen individual actions
What lies at the heart of creating meaningful change is working collectively and forming connections between individual actions. This is why we continue to build wider networks of victims and grassroots activists to push the justice agenda forward.
Forming connections between individual actions helps push the justice agenda forward
Together with our strategic partners, such as INOVAS, we created multiple spaces for the voices of victims to be taken into account. This includes the UN guidance note on transitional justice, and various policy debates. Integrating these voices more consistently into policy spaces is the big ask for the future.
As we wrap up the year and look forward to 2024, let us take stock of these achievements. Let us commit to fostering a global community that stands united against impunity.
And let us continue our support to victims and grassroots activists, to ensure their efforts can grow in scale and impact. Change won’t come overnight and requires a long-term commitment. We are grateful to our partners for having joined us so far in this journey.
Wishing you all a restful holiday season and a new year filled with renewed determination and hope.
With gratitude,
Marlies