By Raya Harris | Research Assistant
“If we expect to achieve a world without genocide, a world free of horrific war crimes and a world where every citizen's freedoms and rights are protected, then we need to recognize that some crimes go beyond the borders of any one nation and affect us all as human beings.”
Jane Wells
Founder of 3 Generations
More than 10 years have passed since the founding of the ICC; the first independent, permanent, treaty based criminal court committed to ending impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. Since its’ inception, 18 cases involving 8 different situations have been brought before the ICC. This includes the convicted Thomas Lubanga, a Congolese Warlord guilty of enlisting and conscripting child soldiers to actively participate in hostilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern Ituri Region from 2002 to 2003. His 14 year prison sentence, handed down to him in July of last year, symbolized an important landmark for the ICC as it was the Court’s first sentencing since its’ establishment.
3 Generations is proud to have been involved in the coverage of this historical trial. In collaboration with Aegis Trust, an organization devoted to ending crimes against humanity, we created the Lubanga Chronicles Project, an examination of the trial from both a legal and a human-interest perspective. By chronicling the key legal arguments in conjunction with a close analysis of the trial’s participants, we were able to illuminate the significance of the trial while in progress. Survivors of Lubanga’s malfeasance were given a chance to share their story in a court of law; finally providing them an opportunity to confront their assailant, share their story and for many, begin the healing process. Furthermore, the documented testimonies of witnesses serve to honor the memory of Lubanga’s victims in perpetuity. The Project portrayed the restorative and retributive aspects of criminal court trials, a critical way in which the ICC ensures justice for those who have been wronged.
The conviction of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo further demonstrated the gravity of the International Criminal Court. A testament to their sovereignty and their ability to enforce justice, they held a committer of egregious crimes accountable and set a new precedent for perpetrators of such atrocities. This was a notable feat and yet, the ICC continues to struggle with international recognition. We have documented survivor stories from and extensively researched 4 of the 8 situations that are currently being investigated by the ICC’s prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda. In of these situations, arrest warrants have been issued, however, a lack of unanimous international cooperation has led to a lack of complicity. The fight to end impunity is two-tiered - advocacy AND accountability, action AND justice - so we have decided to consolidate our Humanity’s Courtroom project with our End of Atrocity project. The Imagine the End of Atrocity movement works with various visionaries, community leaders and social justice activists to create a comprehensive and universal vision for a world without mass atrocities and human rights violations. Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former ICC prosecutor, is one such visionary. When asked what a world without genocide would look like, Ocampo responded:
A world without genocide would be a world where humanity learns that we are a global community. We need institutions, global institutions. We need The International Criminal Court. [...] The idea is my community is my neighborhood, and my community is my town, it's my country, but also it's the world. And the world community has a little link. The link is we respect life. We cannot attack other people. We cannot commit genocide.
As members of a global community, it is our collective responsibility to support global institutions that uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and apply them to all countries, all people equally. The International Criminal Court is one such institution and we will continue to raise awareness to their work. Make sure to check our facebook and twitter for regular updates about the ICC.
Your support means so much to us and we hope that you continue to follow us for the latest developments on achieving a world free of atrocity.
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