Rwandan residents learn that they have won compensation for an illegal land seizure due to the efforts of a lawyer hired by The Legal Aid Forum in Rwanda, who will be partnering with UMass Boston on the upcoming administrative justice project.
The Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development (CPDD) at UMass Boston’s John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, has been awarded a three-year, $943,000 grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen administrative justice in Rwanda. The grant is designed to facilitate research to identify the most serious problems with the quality and legality of administrative decision-making in three areas with significant public and business impact—labor regulation, public procurement, and land expropriation. Research findings will then be used to spur critically needed training, civic awareness, and citizen legal aid activities, as well as possible legal and/or regulatory reforms.
The Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development is dedicated to advancing peace, democracy, the rule of law, and economic and social development in post-communist, transitional, and developing areas abroad. Working with local partners, the center focuses on assisting in peace building and conflict resolution; helping judiciaries becomes more transparent and effective; promoting greater educational, health, and economic opportunities; and strengthening government and civil society.