Recorded October 14, 2020

About the Event:
Tim Webster, a professor of law, has dedicated many years to exploring the law, sociology, and politics of East Asia's World War II reparations movements -- which are still ongoing 75 years after the war’s end. Why are the last surviving war victims in Asia and their families still pursuing claims for reparations? Professor Webster will give an overview of the major legal cases, settlement agreements, international treaties, efforts by civil society organizations, and political negotiations to allocate liability for World War II. He argues that the individualization of a right to reparation against both states and corporations represents an important step towards protecting human rights in armed conflict. At the same time, the reparations project may be fragmented into discrete, and potentially incongruous, claims, channels, and fora, undermining chances for a holistic resolution or lasting solution.