Cablegate: Human Rights and Democracy Fund - Fy 2008 1st and 2nd

VZCZCXRO1634
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0417 1330942
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120942Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7981
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000417

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958; NA
TAGS: PHUM PGOV OPRC KDEM KJUS CG
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY FUND - FY 2008 1ST AND 2ND
QUARTER UPDATE

1. This message updates FY 2008 programming reported by the
International Fund for Election Systems (IFES), the Carter Center,
Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), Search for Common Ground (SFCG)
and the American Bar Association's Africa Law Initiative
(ABA-Africa) under grants from the Human Rights and Democracy Fund
(HRDF). Activities included education, training, capacity-building,
radio programming and assistance to victims of sexual violence.

2. IFES conducted education, capacity-building, public information
and mobilization activities under its Nexus for Executing
Anti-Corruption Tasks (NEAT) project. IFES's citizen kiosks and
legal information clinics counted large increases in participation.
On January 23-25 it conducted a workshop in Kinshasa on
Anti-Corruption Training of Trainers. It held Citizen Access
Workshops in five provinces to discuss options for and channels of
access to government. It developed a strategy paper to help guide
post-workshop activities between civil society and elected
officials. In March, it facilitated working group sessions in five
provinces to discuss and implement ideas from the strategy paper.

3. Carter Center activities focused on child soldier issues and
human rights training. Its officials participated in meetings of
the Inter-ministerial Committee on International Treaties for
discussions involving issues with child soldiers. In February and
March, they developed a police training module addressing human
rights which they conducted with MONUC April 17-21 in Lubumbashi.
They currently are working on a special report on child soldiers in
conflicts for publication in May.

4. JHR conducted seminars for journalists on human rights. After
setting up their office in Kinshasa, JHR officials formally launched
the program with a human rights seminar for 15 print, radio and
television journalists February 27-29. During March, JHR conducted
presentations on human rights issues at communications schools in
Kinshasa. In late March, it organized a seminar with MONUC's Human
Rights Division for journalists on gender, women's rights, and the
media.

5. SFCG organized 24 public forums, produced 27 radio broadcasts
and held 16 public listening sessions on democracy and good
governance. SFCG established partnerships and points of contacts
with radio broadcasters in Kinshasa and other provinces in January
to share programming and provide information on the use of SFCG as a
forum for dialogue on good governance issues. In February, SFCG
produced programs in four languages, developed a comic strip and
produced a leaflet on citizen participation in good governance.

6. ABA-Africa provided legal and support services to victims of
sexual violence. Country Director Mathieu Ndongo arrived in Congo in
late January. In February, he set up the head office in Goma and
began hiring staff. In March, the North Kivu Bar Association
authorized ABA-Africa to operate a part-time legal clinic at a Goma
hospital for victims of sexual violence. Ndongo works there with
another attorney and a psychologist to provide free assistance with
medical reports, health care, counseling, filing cases, and
representation with the office of the public prosecutor.

BROCK

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