The Role of Testimony and Testimonial Analysis in Human Rights Advocacy and Research

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State Crime Journal

Volume 1, Issue 2

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The Role of Testimony and Testimonial Analysis in Human Rights Advocacy and Research

research-article

Author(s): Ian Patel ¹

Publication date (Print, pub): 1 October 2012

Journal: State Crime Journal

Publisher: Pluto Journals

Keywords: Testimony , Self-narration, Liberalism, Research Methods , Victim representation, Sources of evidence

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Abstract

This article addresses the prominence of testimony evidence in the practice and theory of human rights. It examines the use of testimony in legal mechanisms, by international advocacy organizations, and in academic human rights research. It reflects on the reasons behind the prominence of testimony, treating it as a source of evidence, an advocacy tool, and a trope within human rights discourse. This article places testimony in political context, and explores the political implications of the fact that the narrative accounts of victims of state crime are utilized by international advocates/experts as a primary source of evidence. As an original theoretical discussion, this article critiques what it perceives to be the dominant epistemology of testimony in a human rights context. It concludes that the meaning and uses of testimony in a human rights context are curated by international experts, a trend that risks the disenfranchisement of witnesses from the meaning and uses to which their testimony is assigned.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (jstor): statecrime

Journal ID (doi): 10.2307/j50005552

Title: State Crime Journal

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 20466056

Publication date (Print, pub): 1 October 2012

Volume: 1

Issue: 2

Pages: 235-265

Affiliations

[1 ] London School of Economics;

Article

DOI: 10.2307/41937909

SO-VID: e24f5108-6f8c-4aef-ac6e-99a19cc3c209

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

Notes

"Visual Anthropology" in American Anthropologist 108.1 (2008).
"Testimonial analysis, use, and aftermath" at Ways of Knowing After Atrocity: A Colloquium on the Methods Used to Research, Design and Implement Transitional Justice Processes, Oxford Transitional Justice Research, University of Oxford, June 2012.
Subotic (2012).
China Miéville (2006: 2)
Amanda Anderson (2006: 3),
Clandinin and Connelly (2000), Elliot (2005) Chamberlayne et al. (2000).
Rimmon-Kenan 2002: 11 Jerome Bruner (2002: 89) Marya Schechtman (1996: 93) Charles Taylor (1989: 47)
Sanders (1987: 238).
Braithwaite (2007), Beverley (1992), Bell (2010), Pranis (2001), Neimeyer and Tschudi (2003).
Wright (2006).
Turner (1996: 47).
Michael Rothberg (2000: 140)
Coady (1992), Lackey (2008), Lackey and Sosa (2006), Graham (1997), Fricker (1994). Lackey (1999). Stevenson (1993) Sosa (1994). Hume's ([1777] 1972)
Bennett (1981) Presser (2009).
Stover et al. (2011).
The Trauma Question (2008: 2),
American Psychiatric Association (2000: 467-8).
Paul Eakin (2001: 113)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1968: 143).
Mark Tran (2008).
Paul Mirfield (1997: 336).
Emilios Christodoulidis's chapter "Luhmann's Systems Theory" (1998: 89-91).
Addis (1992).
Nancy Fraser (2010),

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[1] "Visual Anthropology" in American Anthropologist 108.1 (2008).

[2] "Testimonial analysis, use, and aftermath" at Ways of Knowing After Atrocity: A Colloquium on the Methods Used to Research, Design and Implement Transitional Justice Processes, Oxford Transitional Justice Research, University of Oxford, June 2012.

[3] Subotic (2012).

[4] China Miéville (2006: 2)

[5] Amanda Anderson (2006: 3),

[6] Clandinin and Connelly (2000), Elliot (2005) Chamberlayne et al. (2000).

[7] Rimmon-Kenan 2002: 11 Jerome Bruner (2002: 89) Marya Schechtman (1996: 93) Charles Taylor (1989: 47)

[8] Sanders (1987: 238).

[9] Braithwaite (2007), Beverley (1992), Bell (2010), Pranis (2001), Neimeyer and Tschudi (2003).

[10] Wright (2006).

[11] Turner (1996: 47).

[12] Michael Rothberg (2000: 140)

[13] Coady (1992), Lackey (2008), Lackey and Sosa (2006), Graham (1997), Fricker (1994). Lackey (1999). Stevenson (1993) Sosa (1994). Hume's ([1777] 1972)

[14] Bennett (1981) Presser (2009).

[15] Stover et al. (2011).

[16] The Trauma Question (2008: 2),

[17] American Psychiatric Association (2000: 467-8).

[18] Paul Eakin (2001: 113)

[19] Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1968: 143).

[20] Mark Tran (2008).

[21] Paul Mirfield (1997: 336).

[22] Emilios Christodoulidis's chapter "Luhmann's Systems Theory" (1998: 89-91).

[23] Addis (1992).

[24] Nancy Fraser (2010),

State Crime Journal

The Role of Testimony and Testimonial Analysis in Human Rights Advocacy and Research

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