Shastry NJERU - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Shastry NJERU

This paper posits that marginalizing women is retrogressive in the peacebuilding process, and tha... more This paper posits that marginalizing women is retrogressive in the peacebuilding process, and that information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to mitigate this problem in Africa. In most of the African continent, women constitute the majority of the population, yet they remain marginalized in knowledge, networks, and economic and political matters. As a result, a lot of energy is left out of the processes of national healing and peacebuilding in post-conflict societies. Peacebuilding processes could be strengthened if organizations, people, and regions connect in effective multi-sectoral and peace building networks, and are provided with active and open knowledge banks. The inter-operability and use of ICT can provide such connections, bridging communication gaps between peace process stakeholders. ICT can be used to facilitate women’s participation in this process, from the grassroots upwards. Peace and Conflict Review – Volume 3 Issue 2 (Spring 2009), 32-40

African Journal on Conflict Resolution, 2011

is a Transitional justice Manager at the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum in Zimbabwe. Before that... more is a Transitional justice Manager at the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum in Zimbabwe. Before that, he worked as a school teacher, civil servant and university lecturer. He is currently enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His interests are in post-conflict recovery and dealing with the past.

Aid to Africa: Redeemer Or Coloniser?, 2009

7 Post-9/11 aid, security agenda and the African state Shastry Njeru The nexus between aid, secur... more 7 Post-9/11 aid, security agenda and the African state Shastry Njeru The nexus between aid, security and development is now beyond doubt. In fact, security is a precondition for development. The often cited 'no development without security, no security with‑-out ...

Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 2008

The supplies of fresh water are dwindling creating conflict among competing users of this resourc... more The supplies of fresh water are dwindling creating conflict among competing users of this resource. Its quality is corrupted by contamination. The growth in population, urbanization and industrialization are increasingly fierce competition for this depleting resource among ...

This chapter reviews the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum's (the Forum 1) 'Taking Transitional Jus... more This chapter reviews the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum's (the Forum 1) 'Taking Transitional Justice to the People Programme'. The Forum is a coalition of 22 human rights organizations in Zimbabwe providing legal and psychosocial support to victims of organized violence and torture. It has existed since 1998. In 2009 the Forum began the Taking Transitional Justice to the People Programme to motivate participation of the general population in addressing human rights violations and bringing closure to the egregious past in Zimbabwe. It was an outreach programme-the first of its kind in Zimbabwe-seeking to create a movement for transitional justice. The Forum asserts that 'the programme aimed at taking [the] transitional justice agenda to the victims of past violations and establish[ing] the people's understanding of and commitment to the [process]' (Forum, 2010: 13) through discussions among Zimbabweans on the transitional justice options available and their preferences (ibid.: 13). In this chapter, we demonstrate how transitional justice knowledge production can be commoditized and contested. It has been argued that many knowledge producers from the Global South, given the choice, would prefer not to use knowledge 'raw materials' from the Global North in their knowledge industries but rather prefer to promote their own knowledge production

Between 2009 and 2011, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum began a daring project on transitional... more Between 2009 and 2011, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum began a daring project on transitional justice. Practically and conceptually, undertaking work on transitional justice in Zimbabwe, particularly in the rural areas, was an exercise of brave hearts at a time when the state did not tolerate any institution that would brook the idea. Transitional justice was a new concept in a country used to widespread rights abuses, and the government did not want to hear about a transitional justice process as it could excite or incite people to demand accountability for everything, including gross human rights violations. Taking Transitional Justice to the People was a flagship outreach programme that sowed the seeds of the current narrative for dealing with the past in Zimbabwe. The Forum had more sceptics in civil society than friends, as very few understood transitional justice or believed it to be a viable option for the Zimbabwean situation. Technically, transitional justice as a pract...

This paper posits that marginalizing women is retrogressive in the peacebuilding process, and tha... more This paper posits that marginalizing women is retrogressive in the peacebuilding process, and that information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to mitigate this problem in Africa. In most of the African continent, women constitute the majority of the population, yet they remain marginalized in knowledge, networks, and economic and political matters. As a result, a lot of energy is left out of the processes of national healing and peacebuilding in post-conflict societies. Peacebuilding processes could be strengthened if organizations, people, and regions connect in effective multi-sectoral and peace building networks, and are provided with active and open knowledge banks. The inter-operability and use of ICT can provide such connections, bridging communication gaps between peace process stakeholders. ICT can be used to facilitate women’s participation in this process, from the grassroots upwards. Peace and Conflict Review – Volume 3 Issue 2 (Spring 2009), 32-40

African Journal on Conflict Resolution, 2011

is a Transitional justice Manager at the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum in Zimbabwe. Before that... more is a Transitional justice Manager at the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum in Zimbabwe. Before that, he worked as a school teacher, civil servant and university lecturer. He is currently enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His interests are in post-conflict recovery and dealing with the past.

Aid to Africa: Redeemer Or Coloniser?, 2009

7 Post-9/11 aid, security agenda and the African state Shastry Njeru The nexus between aid, secur... more 7 Post-9/11 aid, security agenda and the African state Shastry Njeru The nexus between aid, security and development is now beyond doubt. In fact, security is a precondition for development. The often cited 'no development without security, no security with‑-out ...

Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 2008

The supplies of fresh water are dwindling creating conflict among competing users of this resourc... more The supplies of fresh water are dwindling creating conflict among competing users of this resource. Its quality is corrupted by contamination. The growth in population, urbanization and industrialization are increasingly fierce competition for this depleting resource among ...

This chapter reviews the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum's (the Forum 1) 'Taking Transitional Jus... more This chapter reviews the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum's (the Forum 1) 'Taking Transitional Justice to the People Programme'. The Forum is a coalition of 22 human rights organizations in Zimbabwe providing legal and psychosocial support to victims of organized violence and torture. It has existed since 1998. In 2009 the Forum began the Taking Transitional Justice to the People Programme to motivate participation of the general population in addressing human rights violations and bringing closure to the egregious past in Zimbabwe. It was an outreach programme-the first of its kind in Zimbabwe-seeking to create a movement for transitional justice. The Forum asserts that 'the programme aimed at taking [the] transitional justice agenda to the victims of past violations and establish[ing] the people's understanding of and commitment to the [process]' (Forum, 2010: 13) through discussions among Zimbabweans on the transitional justice options available and their preferences (ibid.: 13). In this chapter, we demonstrate how transitional justice knowledge production can be commoditized and contested. It has been argued that many knowledge producers from the Global South, given the choice, would prefer not to use knowledge 'raw materials' from the Global North in their knowledge industries but rather prefer to promote their own knowledge production

Between 2009 and 2011, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum began a daring project on transitional... more Between 2009 and 2011, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum began a daring project on transitional justice. Practically and conceptually, undertaking work on transitional justice in Zimbabwe, particularly in the rural areas, was an exercise of brave hearts at a time when the state did not tolerate any institution that would brook the idea. Transitional justice was a new concept in a country used to widespread rights abuses, and the government did not want to hear about a transitional justice process as it could excite or incite people to demand accountability for everything, including gross human rights violations. Taking Transitional Justice to the People was a flagship outreach programme that sowed the seeds of the current narrative for dealing with the past in Zimbabwe. The Forum had more sceptics in civil society than friends, as very few understood transitional justice or believed it to be a viable option for the Zimbabwean situation. Technically, transitional justice as a pract...