Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH)

Results: Our top accomplishments from the past year: -Four out of four rape trials won full convictions for the perpetrators. 14 cases prepared for winter 2012 trial session. -Filed claims on behalf of 5,000 victims of the cholera introduced to Haiti by United Nations (UN) troops in October 2010. The claims ask the UN to provide a) the clean water and sanitation infrastructure necessary to control the cholera epidemic; b) compensation to the victims for their losses; and c) an apology. The case has educated the world about the UN’s responsibility for the epidemic, using grassroots organizing in Haiti including several demonstrations at UN facilities and media outreach that has led to hundreds of television, radio and print pieces on the claims. - Helped secure the arrest of over 45 alleged rapists in the year; made significant interventions including 30 cases advancing to the formal investigating stage and five cases scheduled for trial in 2012; provided intake for over 350 rape victims and provided critical legal services for 150 rape complaints; and prevented rape and reduced domestic violence in the area where our Community Security and Sensitization Project was launched (no reported rapes since February 2011). -Filed complaints on behalf of eight victims of Jean-Claude Duvalier’s repression; provided boxes of evidence of Duvalier’s crimes against humanity to the Haitian court; and helped coordinate a coalition of human rights lawyers and international groups (including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch) to insist on an effective prosecution. -Organized a collaboration of 57 Haitian grassroots groups and human rights organizations outside Haiti that filed thirteen human rights reports with the UN Human Rights Council and pursued advocacy at the Council through Haiti’s Universal Periodic Review procedure.

Target demographics: marginalized people in Haiti--women, children, unjustly detained prisoners, victims of cholera, people who are poor

Direct beneficiaries per year: 5,500

Geographic areas served: Haiti

Programs: -Rape Account­abil­ity and Pre­ven­tion Project (RAPP) -Cholera Accountability Project (CAP) -Housing Rights Advocacy Project (HRAP) -Health and Human Rights in Pris­ons Project (HHRPP) -Immigration Advocacy -The Jean-Claude Duvalier Prosecution Project