Somaliland: Forensic Anthropology Training Opportunity

SOMALILAND SUN

Sunday, 28 October 2012 11:17

Help uncover Somalilands troubled pastJoin the Somaliland Field School Before the Deadline on November 15! Term & EPAF Uncover Somaliland's Troubled Past in the 2013 Winter Posted by Kathy Roberts Field School: Unearthing Evidence of Barre-era War Crimes in Somaliland This week the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF - epafperu.org), in partnership with the government of the Republic of Somaliland, completed the first phase of an international forensic training program in Hargeisa, Somaliland. The Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA - cja.org) is a proud sponsor of this program, which will help determine the universe of missing people through a systematic approach, ante mortem data collection and research of mass and clandestine graves. EPAF is accepting applications until November 15, 2012 to join the second phase of this project, which will run from February 5 to March 3, 2013. Applicants from all disciplines are welcome: Participation in the field school represents a fundamental experience for anybody interested in post-conflict studies, peace studies, human rights, forensics, transitional justice, memory, gender, or any related subject. Apart from the payment of some fees for the course the EPAF is interested in participants who meet the following criteria:  have a positive and enthusiastic approach to multi-disciplinary learning  have an interest in a combination of: forensic anthropology, forensic archaeology, cultural and community development, human rights, indigenous rights, human development, power relations and gender.  have some knowledge of the past and present issues of Somaliland and some general understanding of Africa in general  be in good physical and emotional health  be prepared for the frustrations and challenges of living and working in an environment devoid of the usual comforts and technological assets of home  be committed to follow-up work in your community and/or region upon return home Brief From 1969 to 1991, president and military dictator Siad Barre oversaw a campaign of widespread atrocities that decimated Somali civil society. To quash separatist movements in the 1980s, the Somali Armed Forces targeted civilians in the northwest, modern-day Somaliland, culminating in the bloody 1988 siege of the regional capital Hargeisa, which claimed at least 5,000 civilian lives. This past August, U.S. Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema awarded $21 million in compensatory and punitive damages against former Somali General Mohamed Ali Samantar for his role in the slaughter. This judgment marks the first time that any Somali government official has been held accountable for the atrocities perpetrated under that regime. About the Center for Justice and Accountability The Center for Justice and Accountability is an international human rights organization dedicated to deterring torture and other severe human rights abuses around the world and advancing the rights of survivors to seek truth, justice and redress. CJA uses litigation to hold perpetrators individually accountable for human rights abuses, develop human rights law, and advance the rule of law in countries in transition from periods of abuse. Read more... About the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) is a non-profit organization that promotes the right to truth, justice, and guarantees of non-repetition in cases of forced disappearance and extrajudicial execution. EPAF seeks to contribute to the consolidation of peace and democracy where grave human rights violations have taken place by working alongside the families of the disappeared to find their loved ones, gain access to justice, and improve the conditions affecting their political and economic development. Please follow this link for more information as well as application form http://cja. org