# Brian Currin > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Brian_Currin > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Brian_Currin.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Currin > Source revision: 1311414856 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|South African lawyer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{about||the Zimbabwean rugby union player|Brian Currin (rugby union)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Use South African English|date=May 2013}} {{More footnotes|date=August 2017}} thumb|right|Brian Currin '''Brian Currin''' (born 20 September 1950) is a South African [lawyer](/source/lawyer) who was instrumental in the establishment of the [Truth and Reconciliation Commission](/source/Truth_and_Reconciliation_Commission_(South_Africa)). Currin practiced law in [Pretoria](/source/Pretoria) from 1977 to 1987, specializing in labour law and civil and human rights, and now works in [mediation](/source/mediation) and institutional transformation. In 1994 he was appointed by South African President [Nelson Mandela](/source/Nelson_Mandela) to chair a Prison Audit Committee and was subsequently involved in the creation of the [Truth and Reconciliation Commission](/source/Truth_and_Reconciliation_Commission_(South_Africa)). In 1987 he founded the [National Directorate of Lawyers for Human Rights](/source/National_Directorate_of_Lawyers_for_Human_Rights) which he headed for eight years. He has worked in [Sri Lanka](/source/Sri_Lanka), [Rwanda](/source/Rwanda) and the [Middle East](/source/Middle_East) on political transformation. Currin now co-chairs the [Sentence Review Commission](/source/Sentence_Review_Commission) in [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland), which decides on the early release of prisoners who have committed terrorism-related offences. In 2000, he became an independent [mediator](/source/mediation) in the [Drumcree parading dispute](/source/Drumcree_parading_dispute) and said that he hoped he could achieve a breakthrough in the mediation role because he was a completely independent outsider. But he quit his role in December 2001, saying that as [Portadown](/source/Portadown) Orangemen had withdrawn from dialogue, he was "unable to take the process any further".[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1694574.stm Drumcree parade mediator quits], Bbc.co.uk; accessed 29 August 2017. ==Involvement in the Basque Conflict== Currin has been involved since 2004[http://www.alliancemagazine.org/node/3982 Interview with Brian Currin - "Alliance Magazine", 16 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2013] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703083459/http://www.alliancemagazine.org/node/3982|date=3 July 2013}} in trying to help resolve the [Basque Conflict](/source/Basque_Conflict). His work has been funded by the [Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust](/source/Joseph_Rowntree_Charitable_Trust). In the last years he is part of the international mediators team involved in the search of a negotiated solution for the conflict in the Basque Country between the Basque terrorist group [ETA](/source/ETA_(separatist_group)) (Basque Country and Freedom) and the Spanish and French governments. In November 2010 this group was officially set up as the [International Contact Group for the Basque Country](/source/International_Contact_Group_(Basque_politics)). The Group had as mandate "to expedite, facilitate and enable the achievement of political normalization in the Basque Country"[http://icgbasque.org/mandate/ Mandate of the ICG] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001052523/http://icgbasque.org/mandate/ |date=1 October 2013 }}, Icgbasque.org; accessed 29 August 2017. This mediators team is not recognized by either the Spanish or the French government.{{Cite web |title=El Gobierno desautoriza a Brian Currin como supuesto mediador con ETA |url=http://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/noticias/20100812/53981375667/el-gobierno-desautoriza-a-brian-currin-como-supuesto-mediador-con-eta.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321172331/http://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/noticias/20100812/53981375667/el-gobierno-desautoriza-a-brian-currin-como-supuesto-mediador-con-eta.html |archive-date=2012-03-21 |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=www.lavanguardia.com}}{{Cite web |last=AP |first=BOB EDME |date=2018-05-04 |title=Peacemakers Mark End Of Violent Basque Separatist Group ETA |url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2018/05/04/283626/peacemakers-mark-end-of-violent-basque-separatist-group-eta/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=Houston Public Media |language=en-US}} The main associations of victims of ETA have asked him to leave this labour considering it as inadequate and harmful.{{Cite web |title=La AVT dice que Currin vive a costa de las víctimas del terrorismo |url=http://www.lavozlibre.com/noticias/ampliar/96937/la-avt-dice-que-currin-vive-a-costa-de-las-victimas-del-terrorismo- |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604203426/http://www.lavozlibre.com/noticias/ampliar/96937/la-avt-dice-que-currin-vive-a-costa-de-las-victimas-del-terrorismo- |archive-date=2016-06-04 |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=www.lavozlibre.com}}{{Cite web |last=Press |first=Europa |date=2010-11-07 |title=ETA.- La presidenta de la AVT expresa su deseo de reunirse con Currin para rechazar su intermediación |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-eta-presidenta-avt-expresa-deseo-reunirse-currin-rechazar-intermediacion-20101107130058.html |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=www.europapress.es}} Additionally, the main Spanish parties at the time [People's Party](/source/People's_Party_(Spain)){{Cite web |last=Correo |first=El |title=El PP desautoriza el documento de Brian Currin porque desconoce la «realidad vasca». El Correo |url=http://www.elcorreo.com/alava/v/20100401/politica/desautoriza-documento-brian-currin-20100401.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829115211/http://www.elcorreo.com/alava/v/20100401/politica/desautoriza-documento-brian-currin-20100401.html |archive-date=2017-08-29 |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=www.elcorreo.com}}{{Cite web |last=20minutos |date=2010-03-31 |title=PP ve "desconocimiento" en el documento de Currin e insiste en que pagar "un precio político" a ETA no es "admisible" |url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/666125/0/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=www.20minutos.es - Últimas Noticias |language=es}} and [Spanish Socialist Workers' Party](/source/Spanish_Socialist_Workers'_Party){{Cite news|url=http://www.libertaddigital.com/nacional/el-psoe-dice-que-no-hay-conversaciones-ni-formales-ni-informales-con-batasuna-1276399474|title=El PSOE dice que no hay conversaciones "ni formales ni informales" con Batasuna|date=2010-08-12|work=Libertad Digital|access-date=2017-08-29|language=es-ES}}{{Cite web |last=Digital |first=Periodista |date=2010-08-13 |title=Valenciano niega reunión de Currin con socialistas y dice que el PSOE ya se quejó del mediador ante el ANC |url=https://www.periodistadigital.com/politica/justicia/20100813/valenciano-niega-reunion-currin-socialistas-dice-psoe-quejo-mediador-anc-noticia-689400774938/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=Periodista Digital |language=es}} have criticized what they consider a lack of knowledge of the political reality in the Basque Country.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}} ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20101019204651/http://www.sentencereview.org.uk/members.htm#Pen%20Pictures ''Pen Pictures''] ''Sentence Review Commission''; accessed 3 November 2007. *[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/2093775.stm '' Drumcree Dispute - Key figures''] ''BBC News NI''; accessed 3 November 2007 *[http://www.saha.org.za/collections.htm?collections/AL3065.htm ''Brian Currin - profile''] ''South Africa History Archive'']; accessed 3 November 2007 {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Currin, Brian}} Category:Living people Category:1950 births Category:20th-century South African lawyers Category:South African human rights activists Category:White South African anti-apartheid activists Category:South African anti-apartheid activists Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:People from Pretoria --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Brian Currin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Currin) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Currin?action=history)). 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