This thesis aims to critically analyse how power relations in victimhood discourse have changed within the framework of five decades of Colombian armed conflict and how this affected the discourse...Show moreThis thesis aims to critically analyse how power relations in victimhood discourse have changed within the framework of five decades of Colombian armed conflict and how this affected the discourse of child soldiers. By analysing two case studies, the El Caguán – and the Havana peace process, this thesis aims to answer the main research question: How did power relations behind the victim change due the implementation of transitional justice during the Colombian peace processes and how has this affected demobilised child soldiers? Critical discourse analysis is used to understand which power relations determine the recognition of the victim, which will also provide an understanding of how victims and especially child soldiers have been referred to throughout the armed conflict. This thesis aims to contribute to studies of childhood, studies of transitional justice and the implementation of such justice regarding former child soldiers and victims of war conflicts.Show less
Many factors influenced the eradication of the peace process between Turkey and the PKK in early 2015. Some scholars argue that the elections in 2015 and Recep Tayyip Erdogan's personal political...Show moreMany factors influenced the eradication of the peace process between Turkey and the PKK in early 2015. Some scholars argue that the elections in 2015 and Recep Tayyip Erdogan's personal political ambitions towards a presidential system were the major factors behind the revival of the violence between Kurdish armed groups and Turkish security forces. Another given argument is the suspended bid of Turkey for accession to the European Union, and the incapability of the EU to enforce reforms within Turkey. Others state that the civil war in Syria, and the policies of Turkey concerning the Kurds in the region was crucial and caused a spill over of the conflict. The central question of this thesis is: what factors have led the Turkish government to change its policies towards the Kurdish groups after 2011 and subsequently led to the end of the Turkey-PKK peace process?Show less
This thesis examines the focal concepts and approaches in the field of transitional justice and argues for its positive contribution in the field of International Relations. It asks the question to...Show moreThis thesis examines the focal concepts and approaches in the field of transitional justice and argues for its positive contribution in the field of International Relations. It asks the question to what extent the method of truth-seeking is engaged in the implementation of measures of transitional justice and thereby fostering the reconciliation side of the spectrum or the opposite of dissension. The analysis suggests that reconciliation is part of the larger peace process and dissension is related to the process of othering. Reconciliation is further understood as being a reciprocal process with the creation of a shared historical narrative. In creating a truth-seeking framework and applying its indicators on the cases of South-Africa and Rwanda, an insight is created on the contribution of truth-seeking methods in transitional justices. Furthermore, this research argues that establishing a thick form of reconciliation is the aim of truth-seeking and the indicators of the created framework are designed to consider to what extent the disrupted narrative, which constitutes the underlying problem, is resolved through the means of dialogue and sympathising.Show less
