Activities by Justitia et Pax

In Congo, Justitia et Pax focuses in particular on protecting human rights defenders and women’s rights. Justitia et Pax is following the situation in Congo closely and is bringing these to the attention of national and international policy makers.
Justitia et Pax also focuses on tackling impunity and violence against women. The success or failure of demobilistation programmes (demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration, DDR) and programmes to reform the security sector (security sector reform, SSR) plays a big role in this. Research shows that violence against women can be reduced provided that all stages of the DDR programme take men and women into account. The disturbed power relationships between men and women which is seen as one of the causes of violence against women in Congo aremaintained by international interventions. The UN Security Mission MONUSCO still has fewer than two per cent women staff.

Justitia et Pax:

• Supports local partners in presenting human rights violations international level. Justitia et Pax helps them for example to right shadow reports for the United Nations (like the Universal Periodic Review) and helps them to gain access to international for a such as the Human Rights Council in Geneva and parliamentarians in The Netherlands and Brussels;
• Strengthens the lobby capacity of local organisations by holding workshops and facilitating visits to bodies in Brussels, Geneva and The Netherlands;
• At the request of the Congolese Bishops’ Conference, provides access to policy makers, particularly in The Netherlands;
• Supports various dioceses, human rights organisations and Justice and Peace Commissions in eastern Congo through workshops on good governance, citizenship and sexual violence; In the run up to the presidential elections in November 2011, these organisations want to put good governance and citizenship issues on the agenda of local and national government.
• Facilitates intensive lobby training on how to formulate your message, with which goal, and to which policy makers and partners;
• Mediates in procuring international or local shelter and support of human rights defenders in danger.

Cooperative relationships

In the provinces of North and South Kivu, and in Orientale, Justitia et Pax works together with local Justitia et Pax Commissions and local human rights organisations. A number of these participants will themselves share their knowledge and skills with grassroots groups which are often linked to the local Commissions. In this way, many people can be reached and informed within a short period of time.
In the Netherlands, Justitia et Pax is part of a strategic alliance with Cordaid. Justitia et Pax works in broader cooperative associations of catholic, faith-based and interreligious organisations, in The Netherlands and worldwide.