We seek to promote justice in Congo by elevating the voices and influence of those charged with shaping, interpreting, and applying the law. We train and support jurists – lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals from eastern Congo to elevate justice in the context of a broken system.
The legal professionals we serve are doing extraordinary things to transform lives, such as the following:
- Aggressively prosecute those who commit violent crimes against women.
- Advocate for the wrongfully imprisoned and help to set them free.
- Give legal counsel to the poor, free of charge.
- Defend widows whose property rights are unjustly denied.
One exciting result is the formation of the International Christian Lawyers’ Association which consists of “cell” groups. The goal of these groups is to promote and advocate for transformation in the justice system, starting at a grassroots level. Active associations are now operating in the cities of Beni, Butembo, Bunia, and Goma.
Through the relentless pro bono services offered by the Bunia association resulted in the release of 207 unjustly convicted or imprisoned prisoners and 75 imprisoned children. Over 500 cases have been opened since 2013 of those suspected of being unjustly imprisoned.
In April 2017 Congo Initiative’s 5th International Justice Conference was hosted on UCBC campus. 150 legal professionals attended the conference, more than doubling the attendance from the last conference held in 2015.
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