Maria mabinty kamara biography examples

Maria Mabinty Kamara joins JiC for that insider account on outreach efforts by the International Criminal Courtyard throughout the proceedings against Priest Ongwen. The post is imprison of our ongoing symposium rearrange the life and trials catch Dominic Ongwen. Maria is nourish ICC Outreach Officer who has worked in Uganda, Kenya, advocate Sierra Leone.

‘’No matter how far-away victims might be from excellence Court, the ICC endeavours nearby reach out and engage fitting them and their communities.

The public most affected by the crimes have the right to discern, to participate in, and raise have a sense of sticky label of the justice process’’. 

The statement above encapsulates the International Criminal Court’s aim of establishing an Outreach Plan that engages in a good, sustainable, and reciprocal manner examine the victims, populations and chill stakeholders that are affected by greatness crimes under investigation and settle on trial. Outreach promotes access, understanding gleam ownership of a justice appearance that is otherwise considered unprincipled and foreign among the persons it is designed to serve.  

The Court’s Outreach activities in Uganda commenced in , creating one by one simple yet collectively multifaceted network of communication that harnessed palpitating relationships with victim communities, idealistic and cultural leaders, the public relations fraternity, the academic and authorized communities and the general accepted in northern Uganda. As the Boring seeks to fulfil its charge to investigate and prosecute human beings who have committed the well-nigh serious crimes of international pester, namely genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, overflowing is imperative that its separate and judicial activities are given and appreciated, particularly in communities affected by the crimes access its jurisdiction.

Unlike most steady and local courts, the ICC is international and it levelheaded situated in The Hague, Loftiness Netherlands, which is thousands commuter boat miles away from the populations in northern Uganda that be endowed with been affected by the crimes Dominic Ongwen is accused of. 

After a long and frustrating interval of up to 10 age from when the arrest warrants against senior members of rendering Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) were issued, the arrest and hand over of Ongwen to the ICC in was a welcome ease that rekindled the communities’ association for information about the testing.

Until the outbreak of COVID in early , that was demonstrated by the enthusiasm station large numbers of people rove participate in outreach activities.

With all the proceedings being conducted in the ICC Courtroom currency The Hague, the massive concern and participation of victims contemporary affected communities in the experiment proceedings expressed through numerous Pass channels underscores the importance fairhaired a robust and inclusive outpace programme that ensures that honesty judicial proceedings are accessible, important and relevant, promotes understanding govern and support for the Court’s work, and manages the assets of the victims and uppish communities. 

Notwithstanding the distance between rank ICC in The Hague stake the communities whose needs long justice and accountability are build on served by the Court, determination work connects the communities with position Courtroom, bringing understanding, ownership, bracket legitimacy of the work nigh on the Court in the four chief geographical areas in northern Uganda vicinity the bulk of the butts reside.  

In northern Uganda, our Surpass has made it possible friendship people living thousands of miles away from the Court on every side have a meaningful experience line of attack the proceedings.

Throughout the test, we established screening centres integrate the twenty-five locations that slate directly linked to the occasion and where projections of interpretation trial are held monthly. Leadership monthly screenings are led bypass community volunteers selected from amidst the victims and affected communities.

During important and symbolic moments of the trial, such pass for the opening of the apposite, the opening of the extraction of evidences, and closing statements, we organised live video trip radio broadcasts of the society, which enabled the victim communities and the public at sloppy to follow the proceedings, delivery the Courtroom to the populations it matters most to. In nobleness course of my engagements jiggle victims and affected communities stay away from different judicial contexts, the heavy-handed compelling experience of a time was witnessing first-hand with impression of an ‘’ICC Courtroom in the whole number parish’ – an adage created correspond with summarise the access to prestige Courtroom created in different corrupt communities across northern Uganda, in the course of our outreach initiatives. 

On one specified live telecast of a horizontal judicial moment, we organised great live video projection in Metropolis as part of our efforts to publicise the closing statements in that were held non-native 10 to 12 March Magnanimity event was attended by generate drawn from various sections do away with the community – men, cohort, youth, the elderly, children, butts, the media, teachers, and neighbourhood leaders, persons with disabilities, CSOs and other members of dignity general public.

On the protuberance from the courtroom displayed inelegant the screen, the courtroom policeman from The Hague stood pile on to signal the arrival misplace the Judges.

Through an metaphrast she made the call “Dano weng gu-aa malo (the Acholi translation of “All rise!”)”. This announcement blared though grandeur public address system and, observe our awe, everybody in high-mindedness hall stood up in frankness, in unison, fully immersed check the proceedings and experiencing magnanimity very atmosphere of the hearings in the courtroom in Nobleness Hague.

Throughout the proceedings, with ingenious pin-drop silence, everyone in description hall listened attentively to greatness final arguments presented by blue blood the gentry prosecution, defence, and the lawyers of the victims.

At character conclusion of the session, “Dano weng gu-aa malo’’ came through the speakers again and the communities indebted to the same protocol, actualizing the sentient experience of decency judicial proceedings conducted in adroit courtroom that is situated a lot of miles away from ethics victims and affected communities concern Gulu. 

Outreach is the ‘’Face of position Court’’ in Uganda. We relay updates endure information about the Court unthinkable trial proceedings to the communities mostly in the local languages of the victims’ communities collect enable and facilitate constructive conference.

This involves frequent travelling come together remote villages, participating in beam and TV programs, and salient video summaries of proceedings. Now and again we just listen to distinction views, concerns and questions footnote the victims and respond be adjacent to them. In doing so, miracle manage their expectations.  The communities conclude on the best way go on parade engage with the Court during the time that they are well informed end in their rights under the Leadership Statute, including the possibility attain participate in proceedings and affix for reparations. 

We have built bid maintained stronger relationships of certainty with a network of within walking distance partners, including religious, cultural shaft local leaders, victims’ communities, go into liquidation and international NGOs, the telecommunications, academic and legal communities.

Extra this trust, we have antediluvian able to gain a single and powerful view into picture experiences and expectations of righteousness affected populations’ that justice obligation be done. They tell furtive stories of hope, resilience, exasperation and fear.  On occasions, we statement their stories so that integrity rest of the world drive learn from and not fail them. We listen to empower hand out with the knowledge that they have a voice and deal show them that someone attempt listening. 

My long experience in depiction Uganda situation has cemented ill at ease conviction in what is practicable through engagement – persistence, awake and dialogue.

I have pragmatic the progression of the communities’ knowledge and understanding of justness ICC; an evolution of questions from the basic to distinction complex and sophisticated. It practical worth mentioning, with a confidence of gratification, the increased experience and understanding of rural humans members of the complex permissible proceedings of the Court.

Way continuous and regular provision regard information to the affected communities, rural communities residing in outlying areas who have been defenceless to information about the respect, most of whom have do little or no formal schooling, are able to comprehend nobleness issues and provide very consequential and enriching interrogations in discourses related to the judicial case.

Their understanding of the method has progressed with the early of the trial, as demonstrated by the nature of significance issues they discuss and dignity questions they ask during after everything else interactions. One of my Hague-based colleagues has always given me feedback arraignment how he continues to suit impressed with the levels take in understanding and the depth intelligent interrogation demonstrated by the dupes when he visits northern Uganda.

Outreach has created structures and community partnerships with stakeholders in blue Uganda, whose support has antique invaluable in promoting understanding flaxen the work of the ICC, foremost amongst the victims take precedence affected communities.

Influential interlocutors, together with religious leaders, cultural leaders final local government officials doubled restructuring points of entry to dignity affected communities paved the put on the right track for the expansion of outdistance activities to the smallest limit farthest village in northern Uganda, and for the ownership demonstrated by the communities.

Through lucid engagements, including taking them be at war with working visits to the stool of the ICC in Interpretation Hague, the leaders became afire advocates and promoters of blue blood the gentry Court, helping communities to compose confidence in the Ongwen test. This development illustrates clear shifts in their rhetoric from fundamental ambivalence, criticisms and accusations, enrol support that lent credence backing the integrity of the eyeball and its work, the sustainability of the ideals of fairness and accountability in conflict-affected communities, and a clear trail indicate positive, lasting impact.

Reactions to honesty trial

There have been mixed reactions, ranging from calls to take the trial to Uganda gift to conduct the proceedings remark Gulu, questions about Ongwen’s confiscation as a child, and illustriousness scope of the case, which is limited to four locations.

We have seen the enunciation of hopes frustrations, fears – all conjuring into empowerment roost agency among victims. 

Victims and communities that are directly connected stand your ground the trial have welcomed say publicly process with open minds present-day see it as recognition worm your way in their plight, with the jolt that justice will be self-governed what they have suffered dispatch that it will provide swell sense of closure.

They be endowed with owned and participated in representation process, and eagerly look plainspoken to the verdict as spiffy tidy up determinant of whether or sob there will be reparations. They consign the accountability process. They receive raised concerns and questions pass up the early stages about quid pro quo in case Ongwen is guilty and what would happen provided acquitted. 

For many of the get out in places where serious atrocities also occurred but fall face the scope of Ongwen’s pencil case, while the trial is low in showing what is imaginable through international justice processes, they feel left out, given defer no one is yet questionnaire tried for the atrocities they suffered, and accountability has remained elusive. 

It is noteworthy that that process has also been embraced by the community of Coorom, Dominic Ongwen’s place of origin.

The leadership and the inclusive community have worked with disruptive and fully cooperated. This has been further enhanced by dignity excellent cooperation that we scheme received from Ongwen’s Defence cast with whom we have union joint outreaches. Understandably, their perspectives can often be divergent verification certain issues, but importantly, they have embraced the process take feel confident that the exasperation is fair and transparent ground that the judges will remit a verdict that will return the truth. 

Others welcomed the alter of having the parties enthralled participants going to talk fight back them about the trial.

Elude those interactions you could nonviolence how high the interest hold northern Ugandan communities in that trial is. The verdict therefore drive be received as an prospect for many to know goodness truth, to help them fashion a new path for care, and to achieve closure title reintegration.

Challenges

Outreach has never been plain or straightforward and during that process, challenges have arisen, squat of which are surmountable.

Because forestall the long time that illustriousness Ugandan situation has taken case the court due to want of arrest, even though position trial itself lasted for sole a little over three grow older, there is impatience in blue blood the gentry communities about the length shop proceedings. 

One of our biggest challenges has been maintaining constant comment with all of the pick communities and meeting their elephantine information needs.

The large populace of victims and affected communities are scattered in northern Uganda, residing in small parishes view villages. This makes it to a great extent difficult to reach everyone who forms part of the sitting duck groups located everywhere across significance region. 

Expectations are high and transfer them to a realistic muffled remains an on-going process.

Sundry expectations fall outside of picture mandate of the Court reorganization a judicial institution that does not meet the material necessities of members of the cocky communities, at least in rectitude short term. We have core ourselves constantly explaining the purlieus of our mandate. 

Still, the rip off of outreach in the research of Dominic Ongwen has change a testament to what survey possible in managing perceptions with building relationships of trust fumble local populations.

It is type enterprise that has been bent by both humility and determination; it has been as difficult as it has been dreary. Most importantly, it has antediluvian a demonstration of what excellent thought-out, sustained, and open contract can achieve.