Open Society Foundations 34d ago

After nearly 14 years of civil war and decades of repression, over 150,000 Syrians are still missing. This presents the country with an urgent challenge as it seeks “transitional justice,” or a way to respond to this legacy of human rights violations in a way that fosters accountability and repair. With our support, Syrian families and advocates searching for missing loved ones after years of conflict and repression recently visited Colombia to learn from advocates there. They heard firsthand Colombians’ experiences with finding missing people and establishing peace and accountability amid internal armed conflict and forced disappearances. Despite Colombia’s significant progress, challenges remain in providing compressive support for victims and their families. As Syria begins rebuilding, the visit provided advocates with important lessons in designing legal and social institutions, balancing the tension between truth and justice, involving the families of the missing in search and accountability efforts, centering gender, psychosocial, and survivor experiences, and sustaining transitional justice over a long period. #OpenSociety #Syria #Colombia #MissingPersons #TransitionalJustice #shorts