GOOD GOVERNANCE AND RECONCILIATION The Good Governance and Reconciliation program promotes citizen participation in public affairs and peace building initiatives in the communities. New approaches under the Good Governance and Reconciliation program include civic education, town hall meetings, community radio, reconciliation activities, and strengthening the capacity of women and vulnerable youth and children to participate and take on leadership roles. The IRC also provides technical support to the Rwanda National Unity and Reconciliation Commission in order to monitor the gacaca community justice system dealing with genocide crimes, the decentralization process, and the challenging land and resettlement reforms. The mission of the Commission is to prevent resurgence of ethnic divisionism and to promote social harmony in the communities and throughout the nation.

CIVIL SOCIETY The civil society program provides funds and technical assistance to reinforce the notion of civil society. Nearly 400 grants will be awarded to local NGOs, working in the provinces of Kibungo, Gikongoro, Gitarama, and Kigali to initiate projects in poverty alleviation, economic growth, and democratic actions. The work carried out will result in an increase in the organizational capacity of emerging organizations, especially womens organizations, to manage financial and human resources, to monitor government institutions and processes and, to network among each other.

HEALTH and CHILD SURVIVAL The Child Survival Program works in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and communities to reduce child and maternal mortality and improve the health and nutritional status of children under five years old. The three major components of this program deal with reproductive health, malaria, and nutrition. The IRC built a network of traditional birth attendants trained in healthy and safe birthing practices as well as pre and post natal care. The IRC also trains community members to monitor and administer nutrition and malaria community-based programs. The program targets more than half a million people in Kibungo Province, placing particular emphasis on 120,000 children under five and 130,000 women of childbearing age in four health districts.