BEYOND JUDGEMENT : THE TRIBUNAL’S OUTREACH PROGRAMME

In order to promote a better understanding of and confidence in its work, the Tribunal began its Outreach programme in Rwanda in 1998. The current programme focuses on two subject areas a) communication and training and b) local information dissemination.

Communication and Training

The Outreach Programme started initially as a cooperation programme between the ICTR and the Rwandan Press . Radio Rwanda has been present at the Tribunal since the very first trial of Jean Paul Akayesu, reporting live on all its proceedings and judgements from its office on the premises of the ICTR.
Since 1998 the Tribunal has facilitated visits of various agents of the Rwandan civil society. Members of the Rwandan National Assembly, journalists and NGO representatives of victims associations have been invited on a continuous basis to study and report on proceedings and judgements. In 1999 the Tribunal launched a special internship & scholarship programme for Rwandan law students. It also began a series of training seminars for Rwandan journalists to promote an in-depth understanding of the organization and proceedings of the Tribunal in the press.

Local Information Dissemination

In September 2000 the ICTR Information Office (Umusanzu mu Bwiyunge- Contribution to reconciliation) in Kigali was opened. Besides leaflets and documentation material in Kinyarwanda , videos of court proceedings are available to the general public, explaining the purpose and proceedings of the Tribunal. In future the ICTR plans to diversify its spectrum of outreach activities with mobile presentations of the Tribunal´s work in the country-side. Through the means of drama and audio-visual aids it hopes to also reach the illiterate population in the country-side.