Simeon Gready

Now #OpenAccess in @JISBjournal: my latest article on Transformative Reparations in Post-Conflict Societies. Particular thanks to @philclark79 and Paul Gready for their guidance. Thanks also to @ArtsUnimelb for their support in making this Open Access. tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…

Flooding the Zone with Shit: it was time for SA After two weeks of intense discussions in the U.S. on South Africa’s relations with Washington, I thought I’d have one last quiet evening to reflect. Instead, as I prepared to head back to Joburg/Pretoria from NY, the news broke—Marco Rubio had declared South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool persona non grata, calling him a "race-baiting politician who hates America." After days of conversations filled with concern, confusion, and even quiet apologies—“Sorry we/they’re putting you through this”—seeing it unfold in real time was surreal. Not because it was unexpected, but because it confirmed what I had heard repeatedly: this isn’t just about race or South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel. It’s about punishing any dissent and rejecting international mechanisms that challenge U.S. interests. The U.S. no longer seeks global legitimacy—it believes it can battle the world on all fronts. Expelling Rasool isn’t just erratic—it’s part of an order-transforming process. For decades, the U.S. was both architect and enforcer of the international system, balancing its role as guarantor, enforcer, and disruptor. But when it abandons the very institutions it once led, this isn’t just a shift. The mask hasn’t slipped—it’s been ripped off by the US itself. It would be easy to dismiss Rasool’s expulsion as another tense moment in U.S.-South Africa relations. But the real issue is precedent. No Global South country can be allowed to successfully use international law against a U.S. ally, especially being one of the few left. This isn’t about Pretoria. It’s about who might be next. The irony is glaring. Washington’s accusations of “race-baiting” against South Africa feel like projection. This isn’t about racial division—it’s about burying the ICJ case in controversy. The strategy is clear: distract, discredit, and divert. But the bluntness exposes its weakness. Over the past two weeks, I’ve spoken to diplomats, policymakers, and academics. Many are disillusioned. Some joke about quitting international affairs altogether, retreating to the private sector. Others are anxious, wondering if they’ll be next. The frustration is real, but exhaustion runs deeper—watching institutions they believed in be hollowed out by power politics. The real question isn’t about multipolarity or U.S. decline. It’s about power. The U.S. still dominates financially, militarily, culturally. But now, it is throwing away the ressemblance of legitimacy that once made its dominance tolerable. Abandoning the structures that gave you influence doesn’t just erode control—it creates a void. And voids don’t stay empty for long. This isn’t just a policy shift. It’s a strategy—one built on disruption, making global governance impossible. Steve Bannon called it “flooding the zone with shit”—overwhelming the system with chaos so no one can process what’s happening. That’s no longer just a domestic tactic. It’s defining international relations. So where does that leave us? At a crossroads. The U.S. is walking away from the system it built. The message is clear: “Deal with your own mess.” Maybe it’s time we do just that. Not through bureaucratic tweaks, but by redefining global governance itself. The longer we wait, the harder the hit will be. Rasool’s expulsion might seem minor in global politics. But small moments add up. And sometimes, they trigger something bigger. This feels like one of those moments. The rules we thought governed international relations? They were never absolute, we knew it. Now, we have to decide what comes next.

For all its imperfections, the #ICC is an attempt at a modicum of justice in a world so starved of it. Unfortunately, #KarimKhan is now chipping away at the last shreds of legitimacy of an institution that has stood on rickety legs legitimacy-wise since its establishment ☹️

Here's a thread outlining the geopolitical situation around the Israel-Gaza war its possibilities, impossibilities, and possible outcomes. Heads up, it's my longest thread yet. It's also raw, unedited, and unevenly paced. Sorry, none of us are well but at least we're trying

Looking forward to this!

Kicking off the first of our two panels on Critical Perspectives on Transitional Justice at #OCIS2023 is @sktgready. Presenting from his fab PhD research on the African Union @CaitlinBiddolph

@randomaxon what a blessing hey, mate - congrats!!

At its core, #TransformativeJustice recognises that communities that have suffered abuses are best-positioned to self-empower transformation in their own lives. This initiative shows how: by handing complete ownership and decision-making agency to the community from the outset.

This looks excellent !

@benjamin_thorne Congrats and all the best in your new role!

Well, this was a very nice surprise greeting me when I arrived at my office this morning! A gift from my wonderful wife to mark the start of my new job.

These projects were designed by the community, for the community. The sense of pride within self-ownership was abundantly evident. The farm/garden reclaims land, provides sustainable opportunity for income, work, food, skills, and serves to empower women within the community.

Last Saturday - a trip out to Sintet in The Gambia, to observe two #TransformativeJustice projects currently being established by @WomenInLiberat1 & @ATJLF_. A women’s garden / site of memorialisation (to honour those killed during Jammeh-era witch hunts), and a poultry farm.

Breaking news: A new aid worker sex scandal. This time, it’s at UN-run camp in South Sudan. Have a look at our latest investigation done in partnership with Al Jazeera. shorturl.at/gjtHQ @newhumanitarian @sammednick

@drMelJohnston Very much feeling the same sentiment on fieldwork in The Gambia currently 😄

You know another great thing about being on fieldwork in Timor Leste right now? No TV and missing all the queen coverage.

Catching up from last week - on Thursday, sitting in on the @gambia_vc’s weekly radio session on Taxi FM, hosted by @ayeshahHaru and supported by @ATJLF_ - committed to discussing the ongoing reality of victims’ experiences, broadcast throughout The Gambia.

@NHRCGambia in partnership with @WomenInLiberat1 started a 3-day engagement with #NationalAssembly members on implementation of the #TRRC #WhitePaper. Thanks to @FranceoSenegal @SuisseSenegal law makers will better understand their role & commitment to #NeverAgain

@lewiseturner That’s a great tip, thanks Lewis :)

@sktgready Yes I look forward to that! FWIW I found that I got lots more out of ISA by going to things where I also found people I connected with/was likely to find such people, rather than only going to things strictly relevant to my work

Good news to wake up to: I’m off to Montreal next year for #ISA2023 - presenting on experimentation and resistance in the African Union’s Transitional Justice Policy. Excited to engage and learn!

@lewiseturner It will indeed :) yes the program itself looks quite overwhelming! Sorry I won’t be seeing you there - one of these days we’ll manage to organise an in-person catch-up somewhere in the world!

@sktgready Amazing, congratulations...will this be your first ISA? (Unfortunately I'm not going this year, but it's great, even if also quite overwhelming at first!)

@pieman_simon Looking forward to meeting in person!

@sktgready Me too! See you there....