The Justice & Peace Commission of Rwanda

SCIAF has been working in partnership with The Catholic Episcopal Justice and Peace Commission (CEJP) since 1998.

CEJP works in all nine Catholic dioceses of Rwanda and aims to create a society where justice and peace reign. The work of CEJP focuses on building peace in a country which remains deeply scarred following the genocide of 1994.

With the assistance of SCIAF, CEJP’s project supports and monitors the local justice system, Gacaca, which brings people to account for their role in the genocide.

CEJP has a vital role in this process of promoting peace education and community participation; CEJP provides support to witnesses, attends trials and assists those found guilty of crimes relating to the genocide to reintegrate into their community peacefully.

In 2008 the work of the Catholic Episcopal Justice and Peace Commission assisted over 25,000 people. In December 2008 SCIAF contributed over £68,000 to assist CEJP in the continuation of their work.

CEJP and SCIAF hope that by promoting peaceful cohabitation, mutual respect and the tolerance of differences, and by addressing issues of justice through the Gacaca process, they will contribute to enabling Rwanda to move forward.