Scope of Human Rights Work Peer Support & amp; Psychosocial Recovery
Justice Congo Group’s human rights work is grounded in the following instruments: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), which establishes the foundational rights to life, liberty, security of person, freedom from torture and cruel treatment, and the right to seek asylum. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), particularly, Articles 6 (right to life), 7 (freedom from torture), 9 (liberty and security), and 19 (freedom of expression). The Convention Against Torture (CAT), relevant to the documentation of torture and ill-treatment experienced by beneficiaries in DRC and in the asylum process. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC), directly relevant to the documentation of child soldier recruitment and child victims of sexual violence. The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (1998), relevant to the protection of community workers and partner staff engaged in documentation activities in eastern DRC. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, as the applicable regional instrument for DRC and Burundi. Supporting Congolese asylum seekers to understand and exercise their rights is therefore directly and intrinsically a human rights activity, not a separate legal aid function. More specifically, many Congolese asylum seekers in the UK have experienced the precise violations that Justice Congo Group documents - sexual violence, arbitrary
Justice Congo Group’s psychosocial support services operate across three settings - the United Kingdom, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi - delivered through a combination of community-based delivery and referral to specialist clinical services where needed. In the DRC and Burundi, services re delivered through vetted local partner organisations: These partners work with trained community counsellors known locally as “agents psychosociaux”; community workers with specific training in psychological first aid, trauma identification, and referral. These individuals are rooted in the communities they serve, understand the cultural and linguistic context of trauma in eastern DRC, and provide continuity of support that external organisations cannot offer. Where cases require clinical intervention, partners refer individuals to medical doctors and specialist clinicians operating through hospital and community health programmes supported by international NGOs
Medical Care, Treatment and Health Services
Medical care and health services is facilitated by Justice Congo Group through its partner network. In the DRC and Burundi, they facilitate referrals to local health facilities, community health workers, and the hospital-based programmes supported by Partners , and other international health actors operating in the region. In the UK, referrals to GP services, sexual health clinics, and mental health provision.
Emergency Financial Assistance
Emergency financial assistance is a small, one-off form of support provided to individuals facing urgent and unforeseen hardship directly connected to their displacement or conflict experience. An emergency is defined as a sudden, acute need that cannot wait for referral to a statutory or larger voluntary organisation; for example, sudden loss of accommodation, acute food insecurity following displacement, or being separated from family with no immediate means of support.
TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION
PROVIDING OR SUPPORTING SUPPLEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WHOSE EDUCATION HAS BEEN DISRUPTED BY CONFLICT OR DISPLACEMENT; SUPPORTING TEACHER DEVELOPMENT AND ACCESS TO LEARNING MATERIALS AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN CONFLICT-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.
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