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Emotions, Ethics and Mass Atrocities
Perspectives from Scholars, Teachers and Practitioners
Series: - Studies in International Criminal Law, Volume: 9
I can vividly recall the feeling of exhaustion I felt listening to this harrowing account. ⦠At the same time I felt a deep respect for this man who was able to tell his story with great serenity, and I was bothered by my own fatigue and loneliness, which felt so futile next to his.
â â An Michels, team leader at the Victims and Witnesses Section, International Criminal Court
Mass atrocities cause horrendous suffering. Scholars, students and practitioners who grapple with these crimes are continuously exposed to victimsâ suffering, perpetratorsâ ordinariness and imperfect transitional justice mechanisms. How do we cope with our emotions? What ethical implications then arise? Private conversations among colleagues have often taken place hesitantly, fearful it will distract from the actual work.
This book, however, brings these conversations to the fore through a series of deeply personal and purposeful reflections to open up new and important conversations.
Contributors are: Andy Aydin-Aitchison, Annalisa Battista, Thijs B. Bouwknegt, Anne-Marie de Brouwer, Patrick Cammaert, Koko Christiaanse, Marije Luitjens, Brianne McGonigle Leyh, An Michels, Caecilia Johanna van Peski, Furtuna Sheremeti, Alette Smeulers, Maartje Weerdesteijn, and Martin Witteveen.
â â An Michels, team leader at the Victims and Witnesses Section, International Criminal Court
Mass atrocities cause horrendous suffering. Scholars, students and practitioners who grapple with these crimes are continuously exposed to victimsâ suffering, perpetratorsâ ordinariness and imperfect transitional justice mechanisms. How do we cope with our emotions? What ethical implications then arise? Private conversations among colleagues have often taken place hesitantly, fearful it will distract from the actual work.
This book, however, brings these conversations to the fore through a series of deeply personal and purposeful reflections to open up new and important conversations.
Contributors are: Andy Aydin-Aitchison, Annalisa Battista, Thijs B. Bouwknegt, Anne-Marie de Brouwer, Patrick Cammaert, Koko Christiaanse, Marije Luitjens, Brianne McGonigle Leyh, An Michels, Caecilia Johanna van Peski, Furtuna Sheremeti, Alette Smeulers, Maartje Weerdesteijn, and Martin Witteveen.
Maartje Weerdesteijn is an assistant professor at the Department of Criminology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She previously authored The Rationality of Dictators (Intersentia, 2017) and co-edited Perpetrators of International Crimes (OUP, 2019) and The Oxford Handbook on Atrocity Crimes (OUP, 2022).
Alette Smeulers is a full professor of international crimes at the University of Groningen and recently published Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities â Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal? (Routledge 2024). She has a podcast series together with Nicola Quaedvlieg called Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?.
Alette Smeulers is a full professor of international crimes at the University of Groningen and recently published Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities â Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal? (Routledge 2024). She has a podcast series together with Nicola Quaedvlieg called Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Notes on Contributors
Introduction: Reflections on the Role of Emotions and Ethics
âMaartje Weerdesteijn
part 1
Reflections from Scholars
1 The Challenges of Studying Mass Atrocities and the Perpetrators Thereof
âAlette Smeulers
2 An Anthropological Perspective: Dealing with Emotions When Conducting Ethnography in Conflict-Affected Areas
âMarije Luitjens
3 When Researching War Crimes and Genocide Is Also Personal
âFurtuna Sheremeti
part 2
Reflections from Teachers
4 Concerning Mass Atrocity: A Personal Reflection on Studying andTeaching about Violence
âThijs B. Bouwknegt
5 Emotions and Ethics in Teaching Mass Atrocities Using Archives
âAndy Aydın-Aitchison and Annalisa Battista
6 Emotional Dimensions of Complex Learning Environments
âBrianne McGonigle Leyh and Koko Christiaanse
part 3
Reflections from Practitioners
7 Emotions in International Criminal Justice: Where Do TheyTake Us?
âMartin Witteveen
8 The Toll It Takes: Working with and for Survivors and Eyewitnesses ofAtrocity Crimes
âAn Michels
9 Working with Victims/Survivors of Genocidal Sexual Violence inRwanda: A Personal Journey
âAnne-Marie de Brouwer
10 âWounded Healerâ: Symptoms in Professionals Deployed in the Context of International Crisis Response
âCaecilia Johanna van Peski
11 How to Address Emotions from the Perspective of a Military Commander in UN Peace Operations
âPatrick Cammaert
Conclusion
Maartje Weerdesteijn
Index
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Notes on Contributors
Introduction: Reflections on the Role of Emotions and Ethics
âMaartje Weerdesteijn
part 1
Reflections from Scholars
1 The Challenges of Studying Mass Atrocities and the Perpetrators Thereof
âAlette Smeulers
2 An Anthropological Perspective: Dealing with Emotions When Conducting Ethnography in Conflict-Affected Areas
âMarije Luitjens
3 When Researching War Crimes and Genocide Is Also Personal
âFurtuna Sheremeti
part 2
Reflections from Teachers
4 Concerning Mass Atrocity: A Personal Reflection on Studying andTeaching about Violence
âThijs B. Bouwknegt
5 Emotions and Ethics in Teaching Mass Atrocities Using Archives
âAndy Aydın-Aitchison and Annalisa Battista
6 Emotional Dimensions of Complex Learning Environments
âBrianne McGonigle Leyh and Koko Christiaanse
part 3
Reflections from Practitioners
7 Emotions in International Criminal Justice: Where Do TheyTake Us?
âMartin Witteveen
8 The Toll It Takes: Working with and for Survivors and Eyewitnesses ofAtrocity Crimes
âAn Michels
9 Working with Victims/Survivors of Genocidal Sexual Violence inRwanda: A Personal Journey
âAnne-Marie de Brouwer
10 âWounded Healerâ: Symptoms in Professionals Deployed in the Context of International Crisis Response
âCaecilia Johanna van Peski
11 How to Address Emotions from the Perspective of a Military Commander in UN Peace Operations
âPatrick Cammaert
Conclusion
Maartje Weerdesteijn
Index
We expect the book to be read by scholars, practitioners and students who work in the field of mass atrocities. It can be used for teaching, research and professionalization.