ARGENTINE EMBASSY SUPPORT FOR "JUDGES GO TO SCHOOL" PROGRAM

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002014 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KSUM PGOV AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINE EMBASSY SUPPORT FOR "JUDGES GO TO SCHOOL" PROGRAM WIDELY PRAISED ¶1. AMBASSADOR WAYNE ON OCTOBER 3 GAVE REMARKS AT THE ARGENTINE SUPREME COURT DURING THE INAUGURAL CEREMONY OF A MOCK TRIAL ORGANIZED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JUDGES AND JUDICIAL OFFICIALS OF THE NATIONAL JUDICIARY AND THE NGO ASOCIACION CONCIENCIA AS PART OF THEIR "JUDGES GO TO SCHOOL" PROGRAM. FOUNDED TWO YEARS AGO, "JUDGES GO TO SCHOOL" BRINGS JUDGES TO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS TO TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW. TECHNIQUES, CASE STUDIES, AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ARE TAILORED TO EACH SCHOOL AND ARE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, CONSENSUS BUILDING, AND PARTICIPATION IN THE SCHOOL AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY. FUNDED BY THE US EMBASSY SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE PROGRAM HAS NOW REACHED 900 STUDENTS IN THE CITY AND PROVINCE OF BUENOS AIRES AND THE PROVINCES OF SANTA FE AND CHUBUT. ORGANIZERS HOPE TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM SOON TO OTHER PROVINCES. ¶2. DURING THE INAUGURAL CEREMONY, THE EMBASSY4S SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM WAS PRAISED IN THE OPENING REMARKS OF ALL PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING VICE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT ELENA HIGHTON DE NOLASCO, THE VICE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE VICE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE ASSOCIATION OF JUDGES LIDIA SOTO. THE "JUDGES GO TO SCHOOL" PROGRAM IS PART OF A BROADER, LONG-TERM EMBASSY EFFORT (LAUNCHED IN 2001) TO WORK WITH A CONSORTIUM OF ARGENTINE ORGANIZATIONS (BOTH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE) INVOLVED IN IMPROVING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN ARGENTINA. THIS EFFORT, INVOLVING SPEAKERS, VOLUNTARY VISITOR AND INTERNATIONAL VISITOR EXCHANGE PROGRAMS, AND DVCS, OPERATES UNDER THE RUBRIC OF "JUSTICE UNDERGOING CHANGE" AND HAS PRODUCED NOT ONLY GOOD PRESS AND GOOD WILL, BUT ALSO POSITIVE RESULTS. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT IN PROMOTING JUSTICE REFORM, WE HAVE SEEN CONTINUED MOVEMENT BY THE ARGENTINE JUSTICE SYSTEM TOWARDS INCREASED ACCESS TO JUSTICE THROUGH ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND MORE EFFICIENCY IN MANAGING CASES AND TRAINING JUDGES. ¶3. THE MOCK TRIAL EVENT WAS WIDELY COVERED BY THREE MAJOR DAILIES, CLARMN, LA NACISN AND LA PRENSA (ESTIMATED READERSHIP 700,000),A REGIONAL WEB PORTAL INFOREGION, TWO WIRE SERVICES, GOVERNMENT-OWNED TELAM AND PRIVATELY-OWNED DYN (BOTH WITH COUNTRY WIDE REACH),THREE RADIO STATIONS, CONTINENTAL, RIVADAVIA, AMERICA (COMBINED ESTIMATED LISTENERSHIP 300,000),AND GOVERNMENT-OWNED TV CHANNEL 7 (NATIONAL PENETRATION) AND PRIVATE TV CABLE SIGNAL C5N. ALL REPORTS WERE POSITIVE, AND MOST CARRIED QUOTES FROM THE AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS. ¶4. TO SEE MORE BUENOS AIRES REPORTING, VISIT OUR CLASSIFIED WEBSITE AT: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SQOV.GOV/P/WHA/BUENOSAIRES WAYNE