Judith Armatta

Current Works

Judith Armatta has written numerous articles on war and violence. Click the links below to read articles she has written during the last decade.

All documents may be downloaded and read using Adobe Reader . For visitors who need or prefer a text document, we have plain HTML text files for each Adobe PDF article on this site.


Ending Sexual Violence Through Transformative Justice  Links to the The Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies (IJPS) website and an Acrobat PDF file of the document.

For a plain text version of this document please click the link.

Abstract

Sexual violence is used to maintain what Dr. Riane Eisler (1990) conceptualizes as the dominator model of society. The early days of the feminist anti-violence movement focused on changing the dominator model, but, in part, this focus was co-opted by seeking criminal justice solutions, contributing to punitive responses and mass incarceration that have been ineffective in ending sexual violence. The racist history of the rape charge and its disproportionate effect on people of color, an effect that continues today. Legislators have passed draconian laws that uniquely apply to anyone convicted of a sex offense, the definition of which has been broadened to encompass harmless behavior. A separate legal regime for sex offenders that isolates them from society and marks them for life as monsters obfuscates the causes of sexual violence and contributes to the problem. The feminist anti-violence movement remains influential, though little recognized, in today’s efforts to respond to sexual violence through restorative justice and transformative justice. A number of groups have adopted the RJ/TJ model, in particular women of color. The article provides examples of successful and unsuccessful implementation of RJ/TJ and discusses impediments to wider adoption of this approach. RJ/TJ is a promising alternative to the current criminal justice response to sexual assault, one that will bring us closer to a partnership culture.

Historical Revelations from the Milošević Trial  (Acrobat PDF format)

Controversy over Serbia’s role in the decade of wars in the former Yugoslavia continues. The trial of Slobodan Milošević unearthed significant new material in documents and testimony, despite the trials premature end with Milošvić’s death. While there was no legal resolution, evidence revealed at trial provides a rich resource for historians to further examine some of the major controversies arising from the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the decade of wars that ensued.

The War Crimes Trial of Thomas Lubanga

Congolese warlord, Thomas Lubanga, is on trial at the permanent International Criminal Court for conscripting, recruiting, and using child soldiers during the 2002-2003 conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Armatta’s articles for the Open Society Justice Initiative on the closing days of the trial are available at: www.lubangatrial.org.

The War Crimes Trial of Charles Taylor

Former Liberian president, Charles Taylor, is on trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone for directing, encouraging or assisting in a criminal plan to seize control of the government of Sierra Leone – and its resources, reportedly including the highest quality natural diamonds in the world, -- by terrorizing the civilian population through beatings, property destruction, looting, rape, sexual slavery, forced labor, and killings. Armatta’s articles for the Open Society Justice Initiative on the closing days of the trial are available at: www.charlestaylortrial.org.

The Milošević Trial, International Justice

This collection includes articles, speeches and editorials that challenge us to reflect on International Courts and Justice and the implications for the victims and survivors of war.

Violence Against Women and Children

Spanning three decades, Judith Armatta's work to end violence against women and children informs all her writing and activism.  In this short list of articles, she deals with interpersonal violence, impacts on children and in the course of war.

Kosova, Montenegro, Serbia

Finally, writing from her experiences in the Balkans, Armatta discusses victimization and the rule of law during a time of war.