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Geneva Academy
6 January 2020
In this interview, Sonali Wanigabaduge, currently enrolled in our MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law (MTJ) tells us about the programme and life in Geneva.
My name is Sonali Wanigabaduge and I am from Sri Lanka. I began my career as a human rights lawyer and then worked, over the past 10 years, at one of Sri Lanka’s most influential media organizations (The Capital Maharaja Organisation Limited) in varying capacities, including as Head of Corporate/ Legal Affairs for its firebrand news division, and as a television talk show host. My work also enabled me to conceptualise new projects that brought together multiple stakeholders, in areas such as reconciliation, rights awareness and the arts.
I’m also passionate about cinema, theatre, and writing. I fervently believe in the power of human compassion to transcend differences in political ideology.
I’d always been drawn towards the field of transitional justice, even before I knew the coinage of the term!
A conversation with a friend who had pursued this programme, followed by intense researching, was all the convincing it took for me to uproot myself from 32 years in Sri Lanka, which, I believe, has been one of my bravest and most emotionally fulfilling decisions so far.
One of the highlights of the programme is the phenomenal insights provided by the stellar panel of professors and human rights experts who encourage innovative thinking around this developing field of transitional justice, coupled with the diversity of opinion from within the class itself. The student body consists of authentic and passionate viewpoints from multiple jurisdictions, which I find particularly intriguing.
Looking outside the window during lectures to the surreal sight of the Geneva Lake is another definite highlight of the course!
This programme encompasses a multidimensional, yet specialised, immersion into transitional justice. Its idyllic and strategic situation in Geneva, where a significant quantum of global human rights work takes place, makes its desirability unparalleled, as interactions are enabled with key players in the field of human rights.
The programme is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who truly wish to serve, whether in the capacity of a policy-maker, activist, or change-maker.
My heart will forever be with Sri Lanka, no matter where in the world I’d travel to. Whilst appreciating the value of the almost-Utopian results expected of transitional justice, I would like to look at it through a realist’s lens. I am confident that I’d be able to consult with other amazing Sri Lankans from different sectors, who are tirelessly working on the country’s reconciliation process, to catalyse result-oriented transitional justice mechanisms in Sri Lanka, to ensure a truly inclusive reconciliation process geared at non-recurrence of conflict.
The psychedelic Pinta Cura by artist Frédéric Post, to me, represents everything that Geneva doesn’t advertise to be: bold, non-conformist and iridescent.
This resonates with me because I often find myself wanting to look beyond the superficial perfection in situations. Whilst appreciating Geneva’s near-synonymity with human rights, if you look a bit further, you discover its underbelly which comes with its own unique challenges and complexities, which often go under the radar.
Marking the entrance to Geneva’s district of the Grottes, the lit-up images of the serpent and jaguar, rooted in non-Western visual tradition, symbolise therapeutic power and clairvoyance, meant to ward off evil spirits and watch over passers-by in this cosmopolitan city which sees a multiplicity of wanderers with so many emotions, hopes, fears and dreams. This, to me, is the embodiment of the Geneva experience.
News
ICRC
We have been conducting research for more than 10 years on armed non-State actors, and continue to do so via two leading projects.
News
In this interview, Tatjana Milovanović, currently enrolled in our MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law, tells us about the programme.
Event
Geneva Academy
Join us for our open house to learn more about this part-time programme designed professionals, meet staff, students and alumni, and discuss career opportunities.
Short Course
ICRC
This short course, which can be followed in Geneva or online, examines the sources of international humanitarian law (IHL). It provides an introduction to the key principles and terminology of IHL.
Short Course
ICC-CPI
This short course, which can be followed in Geneva or online, reviews the origins of international criminal law, its relationship with the international legal order including the UN Security Council and its coexistence with national justice institutions. The scope of international crimes – genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression – is considered alongside initiatives to expand or add to these categories.
Project
MSF
This research aims at building a common understanding and vision as to how states and the relevant parts of the UN system can provide a concrete and practical framework to address human rights responsibilities of armed non-state actors.
Project
Cámara de Diputadas y Diputados de Chile
This project aims to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses affecting different National Human Rights Systems.
Publication
