Pictures of Peace and Justice: Documentation, Evidence and Impact of Visual Material in International War Crimes Prosecution
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: War Studies
Abstract
Pictures of Peace and Justice: Evidence and Impact of Visual Material in Internationalised War Crimes Prosecutions
This project builds on three previous projects: an AHRC funded project on War Crimes, a US Institute for Peace funded project on the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and an ESRC project on media and security, which produced research findings on moving images in relation to war crimes and transitional justice. The project is a pilot study to investigate the importance of visual material vis a vis other types of material at three stages of the process of establishing internationalised judicial processes (i.e. international courts and domestic processes with both significant international input and context). The first of these is the context in which these judicial bodies are created. The second is the conduct of trials. The third is the impact beyond the courtroom on issues of peace and security. The project will (i) identify, document, critically appraise and create data sets of examples of visual evidence at each of the three stages identified; (ii) conduct semi-structured interviews with judicial, policy, media and military-security practitioners to investigate knowledge, understanding and judgement on the relative importance of visual material at each of the three stages; (iii) carry out focus group research to investigate beliefs, values and attitudes regarding particular examples of visual evidence, in light of stages (i) and (ii), including generating processes and cases, use as evidence in trials, and impact on post-conflict societies and communities. The pilot project will test the feasibility and potential significance of research in this area for a subsequent larger research funding proposal. Asa pilot project, the scope will be limited to investigation of these issues primarily in relation to the mid-twentieth century cases of Germany and Japan, where established research and resources will be exploited, and the late-twentieth and twenty-first century cases of the former Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone, where the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator have extensive research experience.
This project builds on three previous projects: an AHRC funded project on War Crimes, a US Institute for Peace funded project on the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and an ESRC project on media and security, which produced research findings on moving images in relation to war crimes and transitional justice. The project is a pilot study to investigate the importance of visual material vis a vis other types of material at three stages of the process of establishing internationalised judicial processes (i.e. international courts and domestic processes with both significant international input and context). The first of these is the context in which these judicial bodies are created. The second is the conduct of trials. The third is the impact beyond the courtroom on issues of peace and security. The project will (i) identify, document, critically appraise and create data sets of examples of visual evidence at each of the three stages identified; (ii) conduct semi-structured interviews with judicial, policy, media and military-security practitioners to investigate knowledge, understanding and judgement on the relative importance of visual material at each of the three stages; (iii) carry out focus group research to investigate beliefs, values and attitudes regarding particular examples of visual evidence, in light of stages (i) and (ii), including generating processes and cases, use as evidence in trials, and impact on post-conflict societies and communities. The pilot project will test the feasibility and potential significance of research in this area for a subsequent larger research funding proposal. Asa pilot project, the scope will be limited to investigation of these issues primarily in relation to the mid-twentieth century cases of Germany and Japan, where established research and resources will be exploited, and the late-twentieth and twenty-first century cases of the former Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone, where the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator have extensive research experience.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Andrew Gow (Principal Investigator) | |
| Rachel Kerr (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Gow J
(2018)
Breaking Up is Hard to Do - Revisited: Reflections on Brexit and the 25th Anniversary of Sloexit
in Slovene Studies: Journal of the Society for Slovene Studies
Gow J
(2015)
The Law and Politics of the Kosovo Advisory Opinion
Gow, J
(2015)
Following Chris Cviic: Ethics and Reconstruction from the Balkans to Ukraine'
in ASEEES NewsNet
Gow, J
(2014)
Syria and the Power of Wrongdoing: War and War Crimes in the 21st Century
in The Montreal Review
Gow, J.
(2017)
The Art of Creating Power: Freedman on Strategy
Gow, J.
(2017)
The Art of Creating Power: Freedman on Strategy
| Title | Exhibition |
| Description | Ruins of Time, Exhibition, The Crypt Gallery, London, Curated by Milena Michalski, Artwork by Milena Michalski |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | London Munich Exchange formed; further activity in development; funding from City of Munich, Department of Arts and Culture |
| URL | http://cryptgallery.org/event/187/ |
| Title | PPJ film |
| Description | Film about visual material and war crimes |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2011 |
| Impact | Used to inform seminar/training audiences London, Belgrade, New York |
| URL | http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/project_gallery.php?i=43&p=Pictures%20of%20Peace%20and%20Justice%20... |
| Title | Restaurant at the End of the Third Reich - and Other Invisible War Crimes Sites |
| Description | Film about the Restaurant on the site of Hitler's Bunker and other 'invisible' war crimes sites |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2012 |
| Impact | Gave rise to art work and further collaboration with Producer Tony Coll and Associates |
| URL | http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/project_gallery.php?i=43&p=Pictures%20of%20Peace%20and%20Justice%20... |
| Title | Screenprints |
| Description | Set of screenprints relating to invisible war crimes sites |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2011 |
| Impact | The researcher who experimented in doing these went on to study fine art and to become and artist/researcher and to win a Residency at the Southbeach Lookout, Aldeburgh. One screenprint was used as a bookcover. The screenprints have been shown at King's Place, London, Chelsea College of Fine Arts, London; the Southbeach Lookout, Aldeburgh: and Clifford Chance and Partners, London. |
| URL | http://www.milenamichalski.com |
| Description | The research investigated investigated the importance of visual material in relation to war crimes prosecutions. It did so with regard to three broad phases - prior to prosecutions, at trials and beyond the courtroom. We found that visual material was important at each of these stages, but that it was particularly important in the last of these phases, reaching out beyond the courtroom to connect with wider publics and shaping public appreciation and memory of war crimes. This could make some difference in terms of peace and security, where our research confirmed that, otherwise, internationalised judicial intervention has been found wanting by victims and communities it was believed war crimes prosecutions would help. The focused use of visual material, where relevant, in outreach work might well enable international judicial bodies to be more effective in their mission to restore and maintain peace and justice. This research used four main methods. (1) Identification, documentation, critical appraisal and recording of examples of visual material in relation to war crimes in three discrete phases: generating processes and cases; use as evidence in trials; and impact on post-conflict societies and communities. This included survey of secondary sources; survey of accessible visual resources, including You Tube, Sense Agency, the ICTY and other international judicial bodies, material in the Liddell Hart archive and personal collections at King's College London, the Robert H. Jackson Center, the Imperial War Museum, London, commercially available material, and private collections. (2) Semi-structured interviews with judicial, policy, media and military-security practitioners to investigate knowledge, understanding and judgement on the relative importance of visual material at each of the three stages. (3) Critical appraisal of content and visually-related discourse in relation to examples of visual material salient at the three stages identified, or where the absence of visual evidence has been significant or visual evidence has been qualified by other forms of evidence. (4) The core of our research comprised 21 focus group research sessions we conducted to investigate beliefs, values and attitudes and publics in the former Yugoslavia and London regarding images and war crimes, as well as particular examples of visual evidence identified in the research regarding the different phases under investigation. |
| Exploitation Route | Our research has been important outside academia in three ways. First, we have confirmed the great importance of visual material in trials, both as evidence and as a way of shaping the courtroom and the conduct of proceedings. This is of benefit to those engaged in the courtroom and reflexively our work has raised awareness of this among prosecution and defence counsels in the course of our research. Secondly, in the course of our research and research workshop in Belgrade, we brought the issue of visual material and war crimes to the attention of the Legal Consultant to the OSCE Mission to Serbia, who became interested in this area and invited the project to submit questions to a major public opinion survey the Mission was commissioning on the issue of war crimes. These questions were discussed and included in the survey, the results of which are about to be known at the time of completing this report. Thus, our research added a new dimension to the OSCE's own research agenda and helped shaped its research, in practice. We anticipate discussing results with the Mission and contributing to the OSCE's own critical evaluation of findings. Finally, our finding regarding the impact of visual material beyond the courtroom and its potential for connection the work of tribunals with relevant communities has been discussed with the Head of Outreach at the ICTY, who has engaged with us in the course of the research, and with whom we have discussed the possibility follow-on research, in which we will work collaboratively to investigate the ways in which the potential for visual material to make a difference beyond the courtroom can be harnessed in conjunction with other activities and modes of communication. |
| Sectors | Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Security and Diplomacy,Other |
| URL | http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies/research/groups/wc/projects.aspx |
| Description | 1. The legal projects coordinator in the Belgrade office of the OSCE approached us directly after becoming aware of the research we were conducting. We submitted a selection of questions May 2011, which were subsequently refined and agreed, to be included in the poll. Various circumstances delayed the conducting of this opinion survey. Results are being processed at the time of preparing this report and are not yet available. However, our research will benefit ultimately from this engagement and already had a significant impact with the OSCE, adding a new dimension to its work conceptually and adding questions for its study practically. The legal projects coordinator in the Belgrade office of the OSCE approached us directly after becoming aware of the research we were conducting. We submitted a selection of questions May 2011, which were subsequently refined and agreed, to be included in the poll. Various circumstances delayed the conducting of this opinion survey. However, our research had a significant impact with the OSCE, adding a new dimension to its work conceptually and adding questions for its study practically. 2. Our finding regarding the impact of visual material beyond the courtroom and its potential for connection the work of tribunals with relevant communities was been discussed with the Head of Outreach at the ICTY, who engaged with us in the course of the research, and with whom we discussed the possibility follow-on research, in which we will work collaboratively to investigate the ways in which the potential for visual material to make a difference beyond the courtroom can be harnessed in conjunction with other activities and modes of communication. She was able to commit confidently to commissioning further films relating to the Tribunal's work for outreach. 3. The impact of visual material in the courtroom was discussed with legal practitioners, including defence counsel. They benefited from the research by enhancing awareness of the role of visual material in shaping the courtroom and assisting judges to understand background issues. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Post-Conflict Research Centre - Strategic Development and Youth Peacebuilding |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | King's evaluative research on PCRC's youth multi-media Balkan Diskurs programme with young Bosnians from 30 different towns across Bosnia was used by PCRC to produce and share participatory media and create counter-narratives to divisive public rhetoric. This impact included the novel production of a national and international major publication, ASBO, made possible by the research. The initial print run of 350 copies, distributed across Bosnia and Hercegovina to schools and libraries ran out immediately and could not meet the enormous demand. In response, further AHRC-GCRF funded A&R research is producing 3000 additional copies to meet demand in 2020-21, with total audience reached over 100,000; A&R research collaboration will sustain the activity through two further editions, spreading research impact and PCRC's peacebuilding further across Bosnia. The research also instigated a wider transformation of PCRC's monitoring and evaluation, building organisational and human capacity, and know-how, by establishing systems and strategies adopted in other initiatives and leading to the development of theories of change for their flagship programmes. Research findings shared directly also enabled PCRC to amplify its activity. It used the evidence base demonstrating the effectiveness of its strategic arts-based programming to show funders value and success. PCRC used the evidence to secure additional and new funding, e.g. from National Endowment for Democracy and Sigrid Rausing Trust in 2019 (with King's researchers acting as referees and being interviewed in donor due diligence processes). Finally, the research provided evidence for PCRC that confirmed its approach, reinforced strategic development and an expansion of its activity, enabling PCRC to reach more young people and deliver increased youth-led peace-building activities. Over 70 youth photographers were trained and given work experience as a result of research collaboration between A&R and PCRC, with one third going on to secure paid employment afterwards. This built the capacity, creativity and skills of young people identified as potential change-makers. |
| Description | Strategic Mission of the History Museum of Bosnia and Hercegovina |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The research gave HMBiH a radical new vision and approach, and a completely new mission and lease of life. HMBIH almost closed in 2012, having survived the 44-month Siege of Sarajevo and being literally on the frontline in 'Sniper's Alley' during the war, its building bearing shell pockmarks from that time. It was a somewhat derelict national institution without identity or role in a still profoundly divided Bosnia and Hercegovina. It was struggling with an old-school museum mission to encapsulate a particular national narrative; but there was no national narrative, post-conflict. HMBiH was caught between the lines, receiving no public support because it is not ethnically linked where constitutional structure and funding are ethnically defined, in post-conflict Bosnia. HMBiH used King's research to develop a completely new role and mission, revolutionising its strategic vision. Research evaluating arts practices and the role of the museum generated an entirely new conceptualization of HMBiH's role as muse and spiritual leader inspiring investigation and dialogue. As the Director's above testimony confirms, HMBiH turned into an 'open' and 'Living Museum', according to the Museum's Director, Elma Hašimbegovic. The main Bosnian daily newspaper noted this radically transformed mission around Reconciliations, reporting that HMBiH was 'never active' previously, but was now 'interrogating' the recent past. Research processes and subsequent findings gave HMBiH this radically transformed new life, fostering regional and local reconciliation, involving research and practice innovations. The research-generated new role included the unexpected potential of its long-dormant archive, hurriedly hidden at the start of war, the use of which by artists was, the Director reported, 'beyond expectation'. This new mission was inspired by research findings that HMBiH could contribute significantly to peacebuilding, through dynamic research and engagement with communities and artists. As part of the research process, in 2018, we jointly issued open international calls, which resulted in engagement with 115 artists, and made 28 commissions as part of the research. In total, A&R research generated 11 exhibitions with HMBiH, 36 engagement workshops for youth, teachers, academics and artists, and brought new audiences and an enhanced media profile to HMBiH. As a result, in impact confirmed by the UK Ambassador to Sarajevo in the main Bosnian daily newspaper, in 2019, and in direct testimony, in 2020, King's' research with HMBiH 'opens dialogue between the present and the past,' in a context where '[c]reating an inclusive space for dialogue is incredibly difficult,' yet A&R 'has clearly done this and made a real difference...'. HMBiH is now cemented as a key national cultural organisation, having carved an inclusive dialogical space to talk about the country's past and future with a renewed mission and an established future as a result of A&R research, which has made a real difference to the cultural life of the city and the country. |
| Description | UNDP Youth and Peace Initiative in the Western Balkans 2020- |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Research 'made a difference, adding to and re-framing parts of the project design', which was to gauge and integrate research by cross-community youth groups, fostering cooperation and reconciliation. |
| Description | ART AND RECONCILIATION - OPEN CALLS AND THE LIVING MUSEUM: INNOVATION, RESEARCH AND THE HISTORY MUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA |
| Amount | £82,253 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/S005641/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2019 |
| End | 01/2020 |
| Description | Grid References |
| Amount | £4,956 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RGY2507 |
| Organisation | King's College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2017 |
| End | 07/2018 |
| Description | Major Research Fellowship |
| Amount | £147,246 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2013 |
| End | 08/2016 |
| Description | PaCCS Conflict Theme |
| Amount | £795,806 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/P005365/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2016 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | Science and Security |
| Amount | £239,399 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ES/K011413/1 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2013 |
| End | 11/2014 |
| Description | IWM Seminar |
| Organisation | Imperial War Museum |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We arranged two thirds of the programme for a project related seminar on visual material and war crimes. We provided funding for refreshments, speaker travel etc. |
| Collaborator Contribution | IWM hosted the seminar, provided time staff, arranged one third of programme, arranged publicity for a public event. |
| Impact | Conference. Contributed to books - under publications. Disciplines: history, politics, law, visual culture, visual media |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Tony Coll |
| Organisation | Tony Coll and Associates |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Research material used to make films; research team members contribute on screen; assist in scriptwriting |
| Collaborator Contribution | Film production; on screen presentation |
| Impact | Pictures of Peace and Justice (Film under Creative Outputs) The Restaurant at the End of the Third Reich... and Other Invisible War Crimes Sites (Film Under Creative Outputs) |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Artistic Exhibition - Crypt Gallery |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Art exhibition organised by Milena Michalski at the Crypt Gallery London, bringing together British and German artists, creating new artwork, creation new organisation London Munich Exchange, funding from City of Munich Department of Arts and Culture |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://cryptgallery.org/event/187/ |
| Description | BBC A Deadly Warning: Srebrenica Revisted |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Consultant to BBC for TV documentary, working with producer Gillian Bancroft |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b061v968 |
| Description | BISA CONFERENCE |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Paper and presentation of the use of visual material in the courtroom at the ICTY |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.bisa.ac.uk/files/Conference%20programmes/2016/3__Conference_Programme_2016.pdf |
| Description | City of London School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Talk/presentation on The ICTY, the Mladic and Karadzic Trials and the question of genocide in Bosnia and Hercegovina |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Film Documentary Series 'Balkan in Flammen' ('The Balkans in Flames') |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 3-part TV documentary film produced by CineCentrum Hamburg for ZDF (major TV Channel, Germany). Major contributor. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020,2021 |
| URL | https://www.zdf.de/dokumentation/zdfinfo-doku/balkan-in-flammen-pulverfass-jugoslawien-102.html |
| Description | ISA Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Talk resulted in discussion and invitation to submit written article for consideration by journal. Invitation to submit article |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at Why Remember? NGO-led workshop and conference in Sarajevo, dealing with conflict history and post-conflict rebuilding in Sarajevo in Bosnia and Hercegovina. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Workshop presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on innovative technologies and future war crimes |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies/events/eventsrecords/New-Frontiers-in-War-Technolog... |