ICRC News 35 / 14-Sep-00

** SHORT MENU....

Kenya: Primary school handed over to community:
On 31 August a Red Cross team handed over a newly built primary school to
the West Pokot community of Kapsang'ar. The six-classroom school, which is
situated at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, was built together with the
men, women and children of the village.

Peru: New show for young people:
This year the ICRC delegation in Lima has produced a new show for
schoolchildren aged between 11 and 13 and is putting it on in secondary
schools with the help of the Peruvian Red Cross.

Brazil: Police instructors learn the law:
Two years ago the ICRC launched a project in conjunction with the Brazilian
Ministry of Justice to make observance of the basic rules of human rights
law and international humanitarian law part of the daily work of the
country's "military police".


** STORIES IN FULL...

Kenya
Primary school handed over to community

On 31 August a Red Cross team handed over a newly built primary school to
the West Pokot community of Kapsang'ar. The six-classroom school, which is
situated at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, was built together with the
men, women and children of the village. It is equipped with a tank in which
rainwater can be collected from the roof - an essential feature in
drought-stricken Kenya, where water has become a precious commodity.

The old classrooms used until last week had been partly destroyed by the
clashes that broke out in 1997 between the Pokot and Marakwet tribes.
However, during the inauguration ceremony the pupils of the neighbouring
Marakwet community, where the construction of a similar school was
completed a few months ago, were singing side by side with their Pokot
hosts, both groups calling for "an environment conducive to learning". The
local member of parliament, who was present at the ceremony, stressed that
the two communities must find ways to live together peacefully.

The ICRC is assisting victims of tribal violence in Kenya such as the
traditional cattle rustling that occurs among nomadic herders, for whom
cattle is the main source of livelihood. Such raids can cause the
displacement of entire communities, including women and children. The ICRC
programme was drawn up together with the American Red Cross, which is
actually implementing it in cooperation with the Kenya Red Cross Society.
Its aim is to restore access to water, education and markets so as to help
the displaced regain a degree of self-sufficiency.

So far three schools have been handed over to communities directly involved
in the construction work and food has been provided for the pupils of 15
other schools. In addition, gravity-fed water systems have been completed
in three villages, over 50 wells have been hand dug according to
traditional methods and a total of eight "rain tanks" have been built
thanks to the engineering expertise and financial support provided by the
Red Cross.

Further information: Michael Kleiner, ICRC Nairobi, tel. ++254 2 728 387


Peru
New show for young people

This year the ICRC delegation in Lima has produced a new show for
schoolchildren aged between 11 and 13 and is putting it on in secondary
schools with the help of the Peruvian Red Cross. The show for the year 2000
highlights ideas such as saying no to discrimination, violence and the use
of weapons, observance of the rules of peaceful coexistence, and promotion
of voluntary work for one's own community, especially through the branch of
the National Society.

The production consists of short sketches in which the characters dress up,
play musical instruments, dance and sing songs to put their message across.
The words of the songs are simple and direct, and are designed to make the
young audience think about these important and topical matters. One of the
most striking features of the show is that the songs are sung to rhythms
such as Argentine sambas, Peruvian waltzes and marineras, tunes from the
Andes, and even a tango!

The performers identify closely with the message they are conveying and
establish a warm and dynamic relationship with the youngsters, who end up
singing along. At the end of the show, an ICRC delegate and members of the
branch of the Peruvian Red Cross accompanying the production launch a
discussion and answer the countless questions asked by this curious and
enthusiastic audience.

Further information: Graziella Leite Piccolo, ICRC Lima, tel. ++ 511 460 27
19
Corinne Adam, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++ 4122 730 2224


Brazil
Police instructors learn the law

Two years ago the ICRC launched a project in conjunction with the Brazilian
Ministry of Justice to make observance of the basic rules of human rights
law and international humanitarian law part of the daily work of the
country's "military police". Despite its name, the military police is not
part of the armed forces but rather constitutes Brazil's national police
force. Its 500,000 officers are in charge of implementing the law and
maintaining public order.

The ICRC project's strategy has been to train those who do the training in
the police force itself. As a result, an initial group of 21 core
instructors, ranging in rank from captain to lieutenant-colonel, followed a
course in September 1998. That group in turn trained almost 340 other
instructors over the following four months. A decision was then taken to
increase the number of instructors, and a third wave of some 500 new
officers from all regions of Brazil went through the process. In total,
almost 900 instructors have been trained in less than two years under the
auspices of the ICRC and the Ministry of Justice.

The courses for instructors have a theoretical section in which the
participants study the basic rules and legal instruments of human rights
and humanitarian law, both national and international. There is also a
practical component taught by police experts from Equity International, an
independent, non-profit foundation. This includes the use of force -
including firearms - maintenance of public order, arrest and detention. It
is intended to translate theoretical knowledge of the law into good police
practice and conduct, and in so doing prompt police officers to respect
human rights and avoid unnecessary use of force and other forms of
victimization.

To ensure that the project is on the right track, a Brazilian university
has been asked to carry out an independent and impartial evaluation. It
will assess the project's effect to date and suggest adjustments to enable
the ICRC to continue effective work in this area with the police. Police
instructors who have taken the course say that the results so far are good
and that this achievement is due directly to the ICRC's principles of
impartiality, neutrality and independence, which help ensure the project's
acceptance by the forces involved.

Further information: Corinne Adam, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++ 41 22 730 22 24
Jean-Francois Olivier, ICRC Brasilia, tel. ++ 5561 248 02 50


During the weekend of 16 - 17 September 2000, for all information please
call the press officer on duty Suzanne Berger, on (mobile) 41 79 217 32 37