Jacksonville, AL – The first Tocqueville Lecture, supported through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, will take place on Friday, October 24, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Merrill Hall B01 at Jacksonville State University. The event will also be available online through a Teams Webinar.
Open to students, faculty, staff, and the public, this civic discourse invites participants to examine one of humanity’s most difficult questions: Can the world ever deliver true justice after genocide, or is the pursuit itself part of the problem?
The program will unfold in three parts:
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Mini-Lectures: Dr. Nancy Combs of William & Mary Law School and Dr. J.D. Bowers of Rutgers University will present differing perspectives on international justice.
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Moderated Dialogue: A guided discussion will follow, exploring whether international courts heal or divide societies.
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Open Q&A: Attendees, both in person and online, will be encouraged to join the conversation.
Dr. Combs, an expert in human rights and international law, will argue that abandoning post-atrocity trials would be a moral failure and that international law remains a vital tool for global justice. Dr. Bowers, a historian and Dean of the Rutgers Honors College who has studied multiple genocides, will challenge the notion that international justice achieves reconciliation, suggesting it may instead perpetuate division.
The Tocqueville Lecture encourages critical engagement with moral, historical, and political dimensions of justice. Participants will consider questions such as: Can global courts deter future crimes, or do they merely record them? Who defines justice after mass violence—the victors, the victims, or the world?
This free event is hosted by the Tocqueville Lecture Series at Jacksonville State University and is part of the Jax MIX Ethical Leadership microcredential. In-Service teachers may earn Professional Learning credits by registering through PowerSchool (Course #338220).
