Project

Training citizens on law and on institutional dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Grantee: RCN Justice & Démocratie

The project aimed to enhance the legitimacy of the judicial system in order to reinforce democratic processes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Specifically, the project was designed to improve the legal knowledge and sense of responsibility on the part of civil society actors by raising awareness of human rights among citizens and by improving trust between citizens and judicial institutions, as well as better liaison between judicial actors and civil society. The beneficiaries included the population of two municipalities in suburban Kinshasa, as well as families of military and police personnel housed in camps in the area; police officers, prosecutors and judges; and a group of trained NGO resource persons.

The project was based on a sound strategy, which identified explicitly the institutional weaknesses that were to be addressed, and proposed realistic steps to address them. The training sessions for NGO resource persons and the seminars bringing together civil society, police and members of the judiciary were implemented to a particularly high standard, as they were both innovative in their field, and carried out with appropriate levels of skills and monitoring.

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Lessons from Project

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The project was relevant and well implemented, but follow-up was needed to consolidate the results in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Discontinuing some activities, such as supporting NGOs in the target suburbs and reducing engagement with the police and judiciary, would send a negative message about institutional dialogue.

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A high proportion of the project budget was devoted to producing leaflets and broadcasts, without a clear strategy for how these activities would be followed up to promote long-term changes in attitude. The lack of follow up was partly because of the wide target audience; however the grantee could have considered alternative forms of content and distribution.

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The project’s aim to increase demand for human rights protection in the Democratic Republic of Congo, by raising awareness, was sound. However the impact of this set of activities was relatively uncertain. A more deliberate strategy focusing on attitudinal change, drawing on social research and lessons from other countries, might have led to a more measurable impact.

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The restricted geographical scope of the project to just the municipality of Kinshasa made sense for the period 2008-2010, because it contributed to the projects focus and established a precedent for joint work with civil society organizations, police and judiciary.

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The grantee’s track record in the Democratic Republic of Congo, its track record with senior levels of the police and judiciary, as well as with internationally supported police reform institutions in the country, helped ensure that the project was consistent with the internationally supported Security Sector Reform agenda, which was endorsed officially by the central government.

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The grantee’s long-term engagement with the police and the judiciary in the Democratic Republic of Congo contributed to the project’s success, as it helped to overcome resistance to activities such as human rights awareness raising campaigns in police and military camps, and the organization of open days in courts.

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