Angelina Jolie: A year for accountability
As a Goodwill Ambassador of the UNHCR, Angelina Jolie has always been promoting
to help sufferers of humanitarian crisis from all around the world and is an
active volunteer of UNHCR. She has written an article to be published in The
World in 2008 publishes annually by The Economist. This article focuses on her
experiences and progresses on the world issues in hope to bring war criminals
to justice.
In her article, she explained some her recent encounters with refugees in Chad
which is located just across the border with Sudan which made her realized
something. While sitting around with a group of refugees who have experienced
the worse experiences that one can imagine, she asked what they need. The list
of requirements was generated which includes better medical facilities and how
to improve their lives there.
However, a young boy replied that they want a trial during that discussion
which is still deep in her heart. This need seems too far to be reached but
this statement has showed that only powerful force sufficient to stop the
violence and retribution that are results from many conflicts. The courtroom
seems as a dream to them.
She realized that only through accountability people who are suffering in
Darfur and other refugee places in the world will be able to gain justice.
Angelina Jolie believed that in the year of 2008, accountability can start the
process of seeking justice for these people. It is through accountability that
the behavior of some of the worst criminals in the world can be changed and the
process of correcting the wrong-doings in the past will be able to start.
There are places of the world where these actions have started to take effect.
For example, the international tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yogolsavia
have started convicting the heads of state and generals for crimes and genocide
against humanity. On the other hand, the joint UN-Cambodia court has begun
calling for witnesses to testify against former Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes
and war crimes against humanity.
Other trials include charging of two Congolese leaders with crime against
humanity in Hague for over a decade by the International Criminal Court (ICC)
and also the sentence of three former leaders of a pro-government militia to
jail for war crimes back in the 1990s by the UN-backed special court for Sierra
Leone.
The power that ICC has is powerful enough to intimidate people although it is
still new. Angelina Jolie recalled her memory on that particular incident in
Congo. Her group was discussing prospects for peace agreement with the rebel
leaders. It was not looking good and the situation went worse after sometime.
Her colleague asked the name of one of the rebels, and accidently let it pass
that he was going to hand the name over to the ICC. The man recoiled and this
has shown the power that ICC has.
Angelina Jolie hoped that in the article, the examples included will be able to
lead to more justice in the future by accountability. She believed that peace
can only be obtained through justice and the refugees will be able to go home
when justice is done.