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A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

The Impact of Service "I look at myself as having the potential to be as strong and caring as the amazing women I met in Kenya." Kate Cummings (Tufts University) volunteered in 2009 as a Peace Fellow for Vital Voices in Africa. For more 2009 feedback click here.

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Partner Campaigns > Strengthening the...

Strengthening the Rule of Law in Eastern Congo

 Justice has been denied to most villagers living in the war-affected areas of the Eastern Congo. Militia have acted with total impunity. Outside the main towns, ordinary people have had little or no access to legal services. Crimes go unpunished and civil disputes fester.

These pages describe how one Congolese organization, Arche d’Alliance, is using a combination of traditional justice and the state legal system to promote respect for law in the interior. Arche d'Alliance has set up conflict resolution committees (Comites de Mediation et Conciliation) in 24 communities across South Kivu. The committees comprise local dignitaries and government officials. They rule on community disputes involving property, debts, inheritances, and domestic quarrels. They also assist internally displaced persons and help returning refugees to settle back in their villages.
 
Arche plans to expand the committees in 2010. The goal is to reach 4,000 villagers in seven villages. The program will start by producing video footage about the committees and then promote them in isolated areas. Arche will also promote the model internationally.

The following pages describe the challenge that faces the program, and profiles the work of Arche and other dedicated Congolese advocates as they struggle against the lawlessness with courage and innovation. The material draws from the (edited) blogs of Peace Fellows Ned Meerdink (2008/2009) and Walter James (2009), who worked with several community groups from Uvira in 2009 including Arche d’Alliance.

For more information, contact Ned Meerdink.

Milestones:

New UN report praises UN role in devastated Eastern DRC (December 4, 2009)

UN has helped to enable killing of 1.400 civilians by DRC Army, charges new Human Rights Watch report (December 13, 2009)

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