HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST RWANDA ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2012

HUMANRIGHTS FIRST RWANDA ASSOCIATIONINTRODUCTION

Human Rights First Rwanda Association is registered in accordance with laws governing
non-profit making organizations in Rwanda under law no 20/2000 of 26/7/2000. It is
non partisan association and has an open membership of 50 persons composed of agroup of human rights lawyers, University Professors, teachers and members of thecommunity who form the general assembly.

Its main objectives are(a) To promote human rights education and provide legal assistance to poor andvulnerable groups in the Rwandan community at Large.

(b) To empower individuals and groups to campaign for their own rights and the humanrights of others.

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HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST RWANDA ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Human Rights first Rwanda Association since its inception in late 2005 has carried out anumber of activities thus including organizing a workshop on the need of a legal aidforum, Danish Institute of Human Rights and other Civil society organizations.
This lead to the formation of the Rwanda Legal Aid Forum which comprises of 36
organizations both local and international intervening in Justice and Human Rights inRwanda..
Human Rights First Rwanda Association is the current chair of the Rwanda Legal AidForum.
Through our imitative of regional networking we are among the founding members of
the East African Civil Society Forum (EACSOF) and a current member of the Governing
council. The forum brings together over 100 Non Governmental organizations fromKenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.

Through EACSOF we have been part of the wider campaign of denouncing illegitimate
governments that take power through undemocratic means an example is the case ofZimbabwe and the Kenyan election crisis where we issued communiqués.

Through our advocacy campaigns we were involved in the campaign to allow civilsociety lawyers to represent their clients in courts of laws in Rwanda. We spear headed
the drafting of a position paper and a communiqué to members of parliament from 10
civil society organizations highlighting the needs and plight of indigent, poor andvulnerable groups who have no means and have been denied access to justice.

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In partnership with the Ministry of Justice, Danish institute of Human Rights, and threeother NGOS we conducted a baseline survey on legal aid in Rwanda. The survey wasaimed at identifying various gaps in access to Justice in the country and come up withvarious recommendations

II A brief recap of the Activities undertaken by By Human Rights First Rwanda
Association in 2012.

We have been involved but not limited to the following activities:- Promoted Sexual Minority Rights by hosting and Conducting an L.G.B.T.I.
empowerment workshop in Byumba District.
- Providing Legal Aid to poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged segments in our community
through Law Clinics that covers 2 Districts (Kamonyi and Ruhango Districts)- Empowering women in Ruhango and Kamonyi Districet by educating and enforcing
their Rights to Land.
- Recruited and Trained paralegals who will act as resource persons in matters of land,and Succession Rights.
-Bridged the Literacy gap between we the Legal Aid Providers at Human Rights First
Association Rwanda and the vulnerable beneficiaries by producing a simplified manualon Land and Succession Rights.
- Training of local mediators (Abunzi) and local officials on human rights issues and theProcedural aspect in Law.

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HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST RWANDA ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2012
- On International Criminal Justice Issues we trained Judges Civil Society and Regional
Media on Criminal Justice and the Importance of the Rome Statute in curbing Impunity,
War Crimes against Humanity, Genocide

Below is a table highlighting some of the workshops and seminars organized by HumanRights First Rwanda Association H.R.F.R.A.

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HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST RWANDA ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2012

Activities Undertaken

Realized activities and Results

Promoted Sexual Minority Rights by hosting andConducting
anL.G.B.T.I.
empowerment
workshop in Byumba District.

3 day Workshop in Byumba District where sexual
Minority groups in Rwanda were trained on
Advocacy. A strong Network of over 60 members
was established on the promotion of L.G.B.T..I.
Rights. Human Rights First Rwanda Association
has been at the forefront in advocacy Throughlobbying parliamentarians and members of thesenate who are the republics law makers, for theremoval of anti-gay person articles in the Penal
Code but after the removal of such inhibiting
articles we now engage with Sexual Minority
Group on an advocacy role and offering legal
assistance where need be.

Providing Legal Aid to poor, vulnerable anddisadvantaged segments in our community
through Law Clinics that covers two Districts(Kamonyi and Ruhango Districts)

Through our Liaison office in Kamonyi District
over 2000 cases were received over 1000 ofthese were solved through mediation andArbitration means as the pending ones await
resolution through Public Interest Litigation bycourts of Instance.

Empowering women in Ruhango and Kamonyi Through the Project Your Land Your Rights TwoDistricts by educating and enforcing their Rights Hundred and Eight (208) titles were registeredto Land.
exclusively for Women in Kamonyi and Ruhango
Districts. A total of Fifty seven (57) Cases purely on
Eviction matters were resolved through ourempowerment programme in both Districts.

Recruited and Trained paralegals who will act as Four Hundred (400) Paralegals were recruited andresource persons in matters of land, and Trained on Land and Succession Rights the same
Succession Rights.
Paralegals were educated on a cross section ofRights Violation especially on Vulnerable segmentsof the community like Gender Based Violence(G.B.V.)

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HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST RWANDA ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Bridged the Literacy gap between the Legal Aid A simplified Manual on Land and Succession Rights wasauthored and produced by Human Rights First Rwanda
Providers the vulnerable beneficiaries.
Association .This Manual has been used as authority inresolving Land Disputes in Kamonyi and Ruhango
Districts.

Training of local mediators (Abunzi) and local officials
on human rights issues and the Procedural aspect inLaw.

On International Criminal Justice Issues wetrained Judges, Civil Society Organization andRegional Media on Criminal Justice and theImportance of the Rome Statute in curbing
Impunity, War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity
and Genocide

The Abunzi who are Adhoc Local Mediation
Committees serve to resolve cases at grass root level ina bid to avoid a backlog of cases at Court of first
instance .Legal empowerment by Human Rights First
Rwanda Association by educating them on Justiceissues was realized by H.R.F.R.A. substantial andprocedural law was also imparted to the members ofthese committees in Kamonyi District.

Three Workshops were held where Judges Civil
Society and Media Personalities across the Region
from Kenya Uganda Tanzania Burundi Sudan The
Democratic Repuplic of Congo as well as the Hostcountry Rwanda, were trained on the Rome
Statute its Ratification by the Republic of Rwanda
in June August and September respectively.

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HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST RWANDA ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2012

Protecting Sexual Minority Rights by Training Sexual Minority Groups on Advocacy andLGBTI Rights in Byumba District.

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Training of Paralegals in Ruhango District

The Simplified Manual on Land Rights Designed Authored and Published by HumanRights First Rwanda Association

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Training of Judges on Through The East African International Criminal Justice Initiativeon the benefits of the Rome Statute.

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OUTREACH TO VULNERABLE SEGMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY BY HUMAN RIGHTSFIRST RWANDA ASSOCIATIONParalegal Manuals used in Recording Cases

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