One of the main actions of Femmes chrétiennes pour le développement et la démocratie (FCDD - Christian Women for Development and Democracy) involves access to justice and the law for all. With the increase of human rights violations, openly taking place in the poor neighbourhoods of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC), the association decided in 2003 to establish a “law clinic” in Ngaba, a neighbourhood highly affected by such violations. The initiative often contributes to ease conflicts by offering legal advice and mediation services.
Having the population’s approval is essential to ease the tensions such a project might create
In the poor neighbourhood of Ngaba, on the fringe of Kinshasa, the Legal Aid Centre (LAC), also called law clinic, is now among the well-known resources centres where the inhabitants go when they have problems related to justice and the respect of their rights. The centre aims at raising awareness among the most resourceless people about their rights as well as providing legal advice to victims of all kinds of violations. The voluntary coordinators of the LAC are well-known figures in the neighbourhood greeted by all the inhabitants. These greetings are usually accompanied by some information on the activities organised by the centre on the following days.
One of the reasons why the law clinic and its staff are well seen is that an important sensitizing work has been done beforehand. Before establishing the centre in Ngaba, the FCDD organised several meetings in order to actively involve the population in the implementation of the project and ensure its good reception by all the social actors in the neighbourhood. A participatory evaluation of the recurring problems met by the population in terms of justice and human rights was thus carried out, through workshops in which the different communities concerned took part.
This preparatory work, although first aiming at guaranteeing the quality and relevance of FCDD actions regarding the population’s needs, is also designed to favour the people’s appropriation of the establishment of the law clinic and thus obtain their cooperation through all the steps. The FCDD also chose to invite the local authorities to these evaluation workshops, thus showing their desire to open a permanent dialogue between the authorities and the people for a responsible partnership. It favours trust and facilitates the identification of the recurring problems and the legal areas to focus on, as well as learning the population’s ways and habits. That is why the high quality of the initial contact is vital.
Choosing a strategic location for the law clinic
The law clinic’s location was not chosen at random. The Justice and Peace Commission of the nearest parish kindly offered The Legal Aid Centre an office for its activities. Sharing offices with a charity non-governmental organisation and a church protects the victims from possible retaliation. Indeed, no one can know whether the people coming to the law clinic are there to receive health care, charity or legal aid. Therefore, the location is highly relevant in a community where victims are afraid of retaliation if they report a violation of rights.
Having local people handle the legal services
The Legal Aid Centres’ coordinators are locals. They are perfectly aware of what the victims go through and can more easily link their problems to the law. These people have been trained and have acquired the knowledge and expertise they need in terms of legal and/or judicial action. Because they are close to the inhabitants coming to seek their help, a real relation of trust is established between the victims and the centre’s coordinators, which is the main way for the victims to appropriate the tools of legal and judicial action. The LAC people’s kindness and compassion towards the victims is obvious as they talk about their cases. The fact that these people do not get paid for their work in the Legal Aid Centre is another proof of their commitment to the people.
The coordinators’ goal is to progressively empower people and help them solve their problems by themselves; that is why they constantly try to avoid that those coming to the centre become too dependent on their services. Their job is to explain the proceedings and the resources at their disposal so that they can make the right choices. It will sometimes mean that they have to stick to their mediation role, directing the people seeking aid to the adequate facilities, whether hospitals or health care centres, or regular judicial institutions.
Comment
Legal Aid Centres are central places for conflict regulation in the neighbourhoods. By giving information on rights, legal consults and mediation services, they enable the inhabitants to contribute to the resolution of their own problems and to find the best solution for them.
During its first years in service, Ngaba’s Legal Aid Centre got the active support of the Centre d’information et de solidarité avec l’Afrique (COSI - Centre for Information and Solidarity with Africa), a French NGO specialized on the DRC, and was then granted institutional support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA-Kinshasa).
Useful contact information
Femmes Chrétiennes pour la Démocratie et le Développement (FCDD)
CCIC, Kinshasa-Gombe, BP 20644, Kin XV (RDC)
Telephone: +243 (0) 81 00 56 772
fcddrdc@hotmail.com
Contact: Anne-Marie Mukwayanzo Mpundu
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA-Kinshasa)
Avenue Kalémie n°20, Kinshasa-Gombe, BP 7248 Kin I (RDC)
Telephone: +243 (0)99 99 41 884
engulu@unfpa.org
Contact: Marie-Françoise Engulu
Centre d’Information et de Solidarité avec l’Afrique (COSI)
33, rue Imbert-Colomès, 69001 Lyon (France)
Telephone: +33 (0)478 286 135
cosi-lyon@wanadoo.fr
Contact: Jean-François Ploquin
Sources
- Interview with members of the FCDD association, November 2006, Kinshasa.
- Participation in the activities organised by Ngaba’s Legal Aid Centre, November 2006, Kinshasa.
- Stories of victims having used the services of Ngaba’s Legal Aid Centre, November 2006, Kinshasa.
