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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JHU/CCP Program Promotes Rwanda’s Post-Genocide Judicial System ReconciliationNew Survey Data Shows High Awareness, But Little Knowledge about GacacasBALTIMORE — As more than 120,000 people await trial in Rwandan prisons for crimes committed during the genocide, the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) is helping Rwandans understand a new community-based judicial system designed to speed review of the backlogged cases and alleviate prison overcrowding. The Rwandan genocide, which began in October 1990 and ended in December 1994, resulted in the death of an estimated 800,000. Working with international organizations, Rwandan officials agreed last fall to set up a traditional court system, known as “Gacacas” to hear all but the most serious crimes. Working with the Ministry of Justice, JHU/CCP will help promote the goals of reconciliation and justice under the Gacaca judicial system, which involves the popular election of community tribunals and subsequent community-based trials. “Our initial research shows that fear and distrust persist in Rwanda seven years after the genocide,” said Jean Karambizi, Democracy and Governance Coordinator for JHU/CCP. “We are also finding that many Rwandans misunderstand the Gacaca system. Most are aware of the new judicial system but are unclear about how it will function.” Using the results of a just-published study that surveyed perceptions of the Gacaca system, JHU/CCP is helping the Ministry of Justice design a communication program to correct misinformation and increase awareness. For example, more than three-quarters of Rwandans surveyed believe the Gacaca tribunals will hear cases involving genocide-related rape or hold trials for those accused of masterminding the genocide. In fact, those crimes will continue to be heard in the regular judicial system. Also, the new system includes a “confession and guilty plea” clause that allows for reduced sentences for those pleading guilty. But the JHU/CCP survey found misperceptions about the benefits of the program, especially among those with no formal education. Only 36 percent of those surveyed with no education understood the benefits of pleading guilty under the Gacaca system. But despite the misconceptions, most Rwandans favor the Gacaca system of law, which researchers found was due to an overwhelming desire to fairly resolve the genocide cases. More than half of those surveyed, 58 percent, said they were “highly confident” that the Gacaca jurisdictions will resolve the genocide trials problem. And 53 percent said they were “highly confident” that the jurisdictions would help to promote sustainable peace in the country. The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based communication for behavior change and health promotion that has helped transform the theory and practice of public health. JHU/CCP has been a leader in the development of projects based on systematic needs assessments and clear strategies for positioning and presenting the benefits of health interventions to appropriate audiences. With representatives in more than 30 countries, JHU/CCP has developed and managed over 300 country-based projects and contracts in 50 countries involving more than 200 local organizations and subcontractors. The Gacaca democracy and governance project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). For a copy of Perceptions About the Gacaca Law in Rwanda: Evidence from a Multi-Method Study, please contact Kim Martin at (410) 659-6140, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA. Fax: 410 659-6266 |
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