Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation
The IHJR seeks to dispel public myths about historic legacies
in societies divided by ethnic conflict
Loading...The IHJR has taken important strides forward in developing the field of historical justice and reconciliation. The IHJR can proudly count as a key accomplishment its own transformation from being a “project” of the Salzburg Global Seminar to an independent institute in The Hague in October 2008. It is now recognized not only in The Netherlands but internationally as a center undertaking issues of historical justice and reconciliation. Our annual report of 2009, which can be downloaded here, reflects the developments of the IHJR during its first full year of independence.
The CHDR is an outcome of the IHJR Project in the Former Yugoslavia.
The IHJR works in partnership with the Salzburg Global Seminar.
IHJR Indonesia Initiative
Context
Despite emerging in 1998 as a democracy after 32 years of authoritarian rule rife with human rights abuses, Indonesia has taken few steps to come address its dark past. There has been no truth commission to expose the many crimes committed during President Suharto’s New Order and level-minded scholars and officials are strongly, and sometimes coercively, discouraged from challenging the standard discourse on these events. In essence, Indonesia is blindly moving forward in reinventing itself without reflecting on the legacy of its past, and thus feeding the country’s culture of impunity.
Current Programming
The IHJR formally began its work in Indonesia in 2007 when it created a partnership with the Center for History and Political Ethics (PUSdEP) at Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. PUSdEP is the only place in Indonesia doing serious work on the history and legacy of the New Order. Founded in 2004, PUSdEP has received considerable attention both domestically and internationally and has become a center for dialogue and scholarship on these issues.
The most significant undertaking of the IHJR-PUSdEP partnership is the creation of a commission to begin to write a consensus history of the New Order. While bringing this project to fruition will no doubt be a long-term endeavor, a pilot project is currently underway. In this regard, a diverse group of religious leaders and scholars has been put together for a project on the role of religion during the New Order. Programming has included planning meeting and a symposium that featured a distinguished panel of presenters and a diverse audience, including former political prisoners.
