danielle celermajer academic world
TRANSCRIPT
Theme 2 Question 2:
What kinds of partnerships, networks and coalitions might be most useful in the
future?
Three Practical Questions
How to develop cooperative processes to address those gaps or provide complementary insights and strengths?
How are current approaches to human rights & development failing?
How are specific failures of current approaches attributable to blind spots or gaps in different sectors?
Our Problem Analysis:
oTorture is a persistent feature of security and law enforcement agencies in the global south*
oTorture has been resistant to prevention strategies developed by international organisations
*Note torture is not limited to the global south, but has distinctive features and links with development in that context.
How human rights organisationsaddress torture?
Approach Institutional Constraints
Four major pillars:
1. Legal Reform (criminalisation)
2. Training (HR/IHL)
3. Naming and Shaming
4. Monitoring (open or confidential)
Minimal research on what causes and sustains torture
Minimal empirical or conceptual analysis of how torture fits in with broader systems and dynamics
Minimal robust evaluation of effectiveness of intervention
How scholars address torture and systemic institutional violence?
Approach Institutional Constraints
Interdisciplinary perspectives on institutional violence:
Sociology- situational factors
Criminology - police cultures & organisational structures
Psychology mechanics of dehumanisation, compliance and obedience.
This explanatory work has rarely been applied in the field
Institutional constraints that impede application are:
Lack of incentives for academics
Lack of project development skills
Funding structures at Universities
Human Rights Organisations’ Approach
A strengths & weaknesses analysis:
Strengths Weaknesses
Strong on action Strong links to
local organisations
Interventions take place in the actual place that problematic practices occur
HR organisations are rarely able to support rich conceptual analytical analysis
There is often no time or funding for broad and conceptually formed empirical work
Scholars’ Approach A strengths & weaknesses analysis:
Strengths Weaknesses
Strong on conceptual analysis
Can conduct rich, detailed and robust research
Can draw on a number of disciplines and experts
Universities do not support practical operationalisation of human rights work
Incentives for academics are not for project work
Universities are often not equipped to translate the research into action
Our Project: Diagnostic Starting Point
Design new methodologies that both counter
constraints and provide opportunities to build on
strengths of each field
Mindful of institutional constraints in each field
Make the most of the strengths in
each field
Lessons from a cognate field: Public Health
Based on empirical studies & target community is site of intervention
Based on a robust theory of change
Context-sensitive rather than generic
Operate at multiple levels at the same time
Most effective interventions
Address structural factors and root causes that underpin the problem, not just the manifest problem
Our Project: Multi-Dimensional Causality Models
Our Project: Multi-Dimensional Causality Models
Our Project: Synthesis of Scholarly Analysis and Intervention Design
Stage 1: Interdisciplinary
research designed to
develop theory
Stage 2: Development of
grounded empirically
based theory
Stage 3: Translation of
theory into intervention
design
Stage 4: Implementation of intervention
according to design
Stage 5: Evaluations at multiple levels
and testing theory of change