Reimagining victims' reparation

Reimagining victims' reparation | School of Human and Health Sciences and School of Business, Education and Law

"Reimagining Victims' Reparation" is a global initiative advancing reparative justice for human rights victims by building a collaborative, interdisciplinary network. Emphasising sociocultural perspectives and victims’ agency, the project advocates for a paradigm shift toward reparative approaches rooted in dignity, empathy and solidarity, redefining traditional justice principles through open dialogue and innovation.

The Project

Conventionally, reparation efforts by international organisations, states and NGOs have taken a legalistic approach, treating victims as passive recipients rather than active participants. This emphasis on state-led prosecutions often sidelines socio-cultural and economic rights, limiting victims’ agency and involvement in reparative processes.

Consequently, reparations are frequently shaped by global bureaucracies and neoliberal governance, focusing on legal frameworks rather than victims' perspectives and needs. Such systems often ignore grassroots initiatives, leaving victims with minimal influence over reparations, which are more often instruments of state agendas than genuine responses to victims’ voices and lived experiences.

Through examining grassroots initiatives, this project explores innovative forms of victim-led reparation rooted in dignity, empathy, compassion and solidarity. At its core, the methodology centres on open dialogue, bringing together scholars, practitioners, activists and civil society to redefine reparative justice and create meaningful, victim-driven approaches to healing and restoration.

It aims to strengthen communication, collaboration and knowledge exchange among a global network of interdisciplinary actors, fostering new research initiatives. It proposes a paradigm shift in reparative justice, rethinking fundamental principles of justice by prioritising sociocultural perspectives and empowering victims as active agents.

Partner Institutions

• Professor Valérie Rosoux - Institute of Political Science Louvain-Europe (ISPOLE) 
• Dr Sandra Rios Oyola - University College Roosevelt (The Netherlands)
• Professor Paul Gready - University of York (UK)
• Professor Nicole Immler - Universiteit voor Humanistiek (The Netherlands)
• Professor Claire Taylor - The University of Liverpool (UK)
• Dr Zulia Orozco Reynoso - Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (Mexico)
• Dr Natalia Maystorovich Chulio - University of Sydney (Australia)

International Partnerships

This interdisciplinary project, led by Dr Gomez and Dr Snell from the University of Huddersfield, explores how dignity, transitional and transformative justice, empathy and recognition can aid victims of human rights violations in the Global South.

Focusing on Colombia, Tunisia, Iraq, Kenya, South Africa and Mexico, it examines institutional responses and grassroots initiatives within these regions, analysing how transitional justice contributes to victim dignification and reparation and explores how these experiences can inform similar efforts in the Global South.

International collaboration is vital to the Reimagining Victims’ Reparation project as it unites scholars, practitioners and activists, blending diverse cultural and socio-political perspectives to create a more inclusive, adaptable and victim-responsive approach to reparative justice across traditional boundaries.

In addition, the project addresses the need for sustainable, co-designed solutions to alleviate the impact of crises, such as conflict and climate change, on vulnerable families. This initiative has received support from different institutions, including the Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF) and the Secure Societies International Research Collaboration and Production Fund (IRCPF).

As part of the project, two international workshops on ‘Reimagining Victims Reparation: building new perspectives on empathy, dignity, and justice for victims of serious human rights violation in the Global South’ took place in 2023 and 2004 in the UK and the Netherlands.

About the Researchers

Dr Camilo Tamayo Gomez is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Huddersfield and Senior Adviser in Transitional Justice for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He holds a PhD in Politics and International Studies and has extensive experience in international criminology and transitional justice.

Find out more about Dr Camilo Tamayo Gomez.

Dr Matt Snell is a Senior Lecturer in Management at the University of Huddersfield School of Business, Education and Law. Prior to that, he spent most of his time working with non-governmental organisations and social enterprises. He has lived and worked in Cote d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia and has undertaken shorter professional visits to Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Guinea Conakry, the Palestinian territories, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan and Sudan.

Find out more about Dr Matt Snell.

Sustainability Development Goals related to this project