Artículos Destacados

Agosto 1, 2007

Launching a Francophone Fellowship Program: Morocco 2007

By Patricia Karam, Deputy Director, ICTJ Policymakers and Civil Society Unit, and ICTJ Research Intern Peter Kim

The Francophone world has witnessed tremendous transitions during the last few years: Cote d'Ivoire has taken halting steps toward ending a half-decade-long civil war; Morocco has moved away from a repressive regime characterized by disappearances and secret detentions by creating the first truth commission in the Arab world; the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has held its first democratic elections in more than 40 years; and Burundi is now trying to reconcile with its long history of violence and genocide. The need to strengthen local capacity to be able to make use of transitional justice tools is growing exponentially across the Francophone world, and yet, the history of the field to date has largely been focused on conducting trainings and producing materials in Spanish, English, and Arabic.

In response to both the growing demand and this notable gap in our rapidly-growing field, the ICTJ launched a Francophone TJ Fellowship Program in Rabat, Morocco, in April 2007. In collaboration with the Rabat-based Center for Cross-Cultural Learning (CCCL), the Center trained 13 Francophone human rights practitioners from countries as diverse as Lebanon and the DRC. Spanning 10 weeks, the program was built on the hallmark features that have long characterized the ICTJ's well-established fellowship programs in Chile and South Africa, including the following:

• Providing top-notch educators: Senior ICTJ program staff and consultants-including Mark Freeman, Alpha Fall, Eduardo Gonzalez, and Cecile Aptel-teamed up with the CCCL and other Francophone experts to provide a comprehensive course geared towards helping them work toward more just, democratic, and peaceful societies in their respective countries and regions.

• Wedding theoretical study with practical experience: The training focused on key topics in transitional justice theory, with special emphases on vetting of abusive institutions and gender-based considerations. The curriculum was supplemented with weekly sessions with expert field practitioners, site visits with local NGOs, and case studies of TJ initiatives across Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Abdelhay Moudden, founder of the CCCL and a former commissioner of the Moroccan Truth Commission (L'Instance d'Equité et Réconciliation), introduced the fellows to the Commission's work.

• Building capacity: The most important aspect of the ICTJ's Fellowship Programs is to enhance the participants' capacities to practice as experts in the field. "Exposure to different case studies and truth-seeking experiences increased my awareness of available options in advocating for truth and the right to reparations in my country," said Sofiane Chouitier, an Algerian fellow who is currently pushing for the creation of a truth commission in Algeria.

Husam Daher, a fellow from Lebanon, agreed: "As a Lebanese person whose country has recently emerged from conflict, but which also risks falling back into it, the program expanded my vision and ability to explore ways of dealing with the aftermath of war."

Fellows also emerge from the program with fresh ideas and initiatives, as Jean-Paul Mugabowishema of Rwanda said: "I hope to train a network of activists to force the government to respect its international obligations and to fight impunity."

• Creating a network of transitional justice practitioners: By bringing together forward-thinking leaders from across the Francophone world, the Rabat program generates social capital and creates unique opportunities for collaboration. The ICTJ will continue to serve as a hub, facilitating communication and partnership among its growing network of fellows.

As the need for transitional justice expertise expands, the Center continues to strengthen and expand the range of its programs. Building on the success of the Rabat fellowship, the ICTJ is currently planning to explore a similar Arabic-language initiative, beginning with a two-week pilot in Beirut in Fall 2007.