The Transitional Justice Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Minerva Center for Human Rights and Faculty of Law organized the third conference in the series of the Annual International Conferences on Transitional Justice. The conference explored the role of civil society in developing and implementing transitional justice processes, particularly in the context of ongoing conflicts. Civil society has a vital, though often under-acknowledged, role in developing transitional justice mechanisms, institutions and concepts. Over the past three decades civil society organizations have set the agenda for transitional justice policies, promoted, supported and developed mechanisms and interventions, acted as advocates and critics of local and international institutions, and helped in developing the theoretical, legal and conceptual framework of transitional justice. From local grassroots organizations like the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina to international networks like the Coalition for the ICC, civil society organizations have been central in struggles for justice, truth and accountability across various contexts, while other civil society groups have been key actors in efforts of reconciliation, inter-community dialogue and conflict-transformation. The conference’s main goals was to facilitate local learning and discussion in relation to civil society and transitional justice in the Israeli-Palestinian context.
