In contrast to human rights organizations focused on documenting abuses or lobbying to influence behavioral change, the International Centre for Transitional Justice was founded ten years ago with the aim of helping societies heal by accounting for and addressing past crimes. A highly respected body of experts working to sow civic trust and rebuild splintered community relations, the New York-based organizationprovides technical assistance to policy makers and institutions, works with victims and activists, and studies the successes and failures of transitional justice methods to promote the best practices. In this sense the efforts of the International Centre for Transitional Justice are a marriage of past and present working to remove perpetrators from positions of authority and see to it that victims are compensated, paving the way for stable societies in the wake of collective trauma. The organization also encourages domestic courts to adjudicate cases of human rights abuses, realizing their effectiveness in fighting impunity and ability to circumvent the limited capacities of the International Criminal Court. With the wave of popular revolutions toppling repressive regimes across the Middle East and North Africa, the International Centre for Transitional Justice has already begun providing technical assistance and advice to local actors for the delicate path ahead. Their projects are already undertaken in 31 countries. 
Website: http://www.ictj.org/
Trust is fragile
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