DHRF ANNUAL SUMMARY REPORT -- FY 2000

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 008357 SIPDIS AF/RA FOR NICOLE PEACOCK, USAID/AFR/SD/DG FOR MELISSA ROSSER, DRL, USAID/AFR/DP, NAIROBI FOR AID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM EAID XA CG SUBJECT: DHRF ANNUAL SUMMARY REPORT -- FY 2000 REF: A. STATE 216032 ¶B. KINSHASA 6473 ¶1. THIS IS EMBASSY KINSHASA'S ANNUAL SUMMARY REPORT FOR THE DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND (DHRF). EMBASSY'S FUNDING REQUEST FOR 2001 PROJECTS FOLLOWS SEPTEL. ¶2. POST REQUESTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT CONSIDER CAREFULLY THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CONGO WHEN EVALUATING RECENT DHRF PROJECTS. ADMINISTERING THESE FUNDS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE GIVEN THAT IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS THE EMBASSY HAS UNDERGONE TWO WARS, TWO EVACUATIONS, FOUR SELF-HELP/DHRF COORDINATORS, AND THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE EMBASSY. AS A RESULT, IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO CLOSE THE BOOKS ON SEVERAL PROJECTS FROM 1996 AND 1997, PROJECTS THAT BEGAN PRIOR TO THE EVACUATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVED FUNDING LOST THEIR RECORDS, WHICH MADE ACCOUNTING VERY DIFFICULT. HOWEVER, EMBASSY HAS WORKED VERY HARD TO CLOSE OUT THESE PROJECTS AND IS PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED TO USAID ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO CLOSE OUT PROJECTS PRIOR TO 1999. ¶3. WE NOTE THAT IN 1998 THERE WERE NO DHRF PROJECTS IN THE DRC BECAUSE THE EMBASSY WAS CLOSED TEMPORARILY. DUE TO LOCAL BANKING RESTRICTIONS AND INITIAL DIFFICULTIES GETTING FUNDS RELEASED TO PROJECT RECIPIENTS, EMBASSY HAS ALSO EXTENDED THE CONTRACTS OF 1999 PROJECTS. TO ENSURE THAT THESE PROJECTS GO FORWARD SUCCESSFULLY, WE PLAN TO PAY VENDORS DIRECTLY FOR MATERIALS AND SERVICES THAT DHRF RECIPIENTS NEED IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT THEIR ACTIVITIES, THUS AVOIDING LOCAL BANKS ENTIRELY. EMBASSY IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH USAID TO ENSURE THAT FUNDS ARE RE-ISSUED DIRECTLY TO VENDORS SELECTED BY DHRF RECIPIENTS. WE INTEND TO FUND ALL 2000 AND 2001 PROJECTS IN THE SAME WAY. ¶4. DHRF FY 2000 ACTIVITIES FUNDING FOR 2000 PROJECTS HAS NOT YET BEEN RECEIVED. EMBASSY AND RECIPIENTS SIGNED CONTRACTS FOR 2000 PROJECTS ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2000, AS REPORTED REF B. NAME OF GRANTEE: CAMPAGNE POUR LA PAIX DURABLE DHRF GRANT NUMBER: DHR-660-00-01 SHORT DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: SEMINARS, OPEN FORUMS, PLAYS, SKITS ON DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE. PUBLISHING AND DISTRIBUTING THE LUSAKA AGREEMENT IN OCCUPIED AREA OF THE DRC. AMOUNT OBLIGATED: USD 20,000 UNLIQUIDATED BALANCE: USD 20,000 NAME OF GRANTEE: GROUPE JEREMIE DHRF GRANT NUMBER: DHR-660-00-02 SHORT DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: PROMOTING COMMUNICATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN ALL OF THE DRC INCLUDING REBEL-CONTROLLED TERRITORIES. MONITOR REPORTING ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONDITIONS IN EASTERN CONGO, PUBLISH FINDINGS. AMOUNT OBLIGATED: USD 20,000 UNLIQUIDATED BALANCE: USD 20,000 NAME OF GRANTEE: LES KAMIKAZES DHRF GRANT NUMBER: DHR-600-00-03 SHORT DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: THEATER ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY, PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS. FOLLOWING THE PERFORMANCE, WILL LEAD DISCUSSIONS IN ORDER TO INCREASE SENSITIVITY TO HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY VALUES. AMOUNT OBLIGATED: USD 20,000 UNLIQUIDATED BALANCE: USD 20,000 ¶6. OUR DHRF SUCCESS STORY COMES FROM 1997, AS 1999 AND 2000 PROJECTS ARE PENDING. IN ACCORDANCE WITH AGREEMENT DHRF-96-660-07, SIGNED WITH THE EMBASSY ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1996, "LIGUE DES ELECTEURS" CONDUCTED TRAINING SEMINARS FOR ELECTION OBSERVERS AND DEMOCRACY "ANIMATORS" DURING 1997 IN SIX CITIES: MATADI AND LUOZI IN BAS CONGO, KIKWIT IN BANDUNDU, MBUJI-MAYI IN EASTERN KASAI, KANANGA IN WESTERN KASAI, AND KINSHASA. THE NGO TRAINED 75 OBSERVERS AND ANIMATORS PER WORKSHOP USING DOCUMENTS SUCH AS THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. ELECTION TRAINING FOCUSED ON GATHERING CENSUS FIGURES, MANAGING POLLING STATIONS, AND TABULATION METHODS. EMBOFFS AND THE DHRF COORDINATOR ATTENDED THE KINSHASA WORKSHOP AND WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE TRAINING. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO ELECTIONS SINCE KABILA TOOK POWER IN 1997, THE TRAINEES WILL PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVES IN THE CONGO. FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE WORKSHOPS, LIGUE DES ELECTEURS PROVIDED EXCELLENT REPORTING TO THE EMBASSY. ¶7. DHRF PROJECTS IN THE CONGO ARE MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER BEFORE. CONGO HAS EXPERIENCED SERIOUS AND EXTENSIVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS, VIOLATIONS THAT CONTINUE TODAY. EMBASSY RELIES ON THE MANY HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS WHO DOCUMENT THESE VIOLATIONS AND WORK TOWARD IMPROVING RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE CONGO. MOREOVER, THERE IS A SERIOUS NEED FOR PROJECTS THAT EDUCATE THE POPULATION WITH REGARD TO DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES, IN LIGHT OF THE EXPECTED INTER-CONGOLESE DIALOGUE. DESPITE THE MANY RECENT CHALLENGES TO ADMINISTERING DHRF PROJECTS IN CONGO, WE REQUEST THAT THE DEPARTMENT GIVE EVERY CONSIDERATION TO FUNDING 2001 PROJECTS (SUBMITTED SEPTEL),AS THE RECIPIENTS PERFORM FUNCTIONS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE WORK OF THE EMBASSY AND OUR MISSION OBJECTIVES IN THE COUNTRY. SWING