Imparting American History By Way of Paul Giamatti...

Among the items I brought with me to Rwandan to entertain myself is the DVD collection of HBO's miniseries "John Adams" starring Paul Giamatti.  Though I've already seen the series, I still find it entertaining to watch.  After doing so yet again, I lent it to a British friend of mine staying in Rwanda, with a gentle reminder to pay close attention to the first few episodes when the colonies prevailed in some little spat against the Mother Country.  I mean, just in case he hadn't heard about the tale...assuming that they gloss over the story in British primary schools.

Paul Giamatti - Awesome.

After he thoroughly enjoyed the series, I lent it to a Rwandan friend of mine who I thought would enjoy the program.  As it turns out, several of his friends and colleagues have also borrowed the series.  It then occurred to me that I was responsible for the proliferation of a great tale of American history as told through the acting of the man as seen here.

But really, he is brilliant, and I am happy that seemingly everyone who is watching it has enjoyed the program.  Perhaps Mr. Giamatti can be the United States' unofficial cultural ambassador to Rwanda.  I'll work on this in the remaining time I have left in Rwanda.

Huh?

Random thought...

Yesterday a friend told me that he was eating a goat brochette on the back of a motorcycle taxi.  This didn't seem altogether like strange behavior to me.

I love Kigali in the winter when it drizzles . . .

January 2011 marks the start of my sixth month in Rwanda.  After a brief but wonderful holiday back home with Janet, I returned early January to continue my term as a judicial clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rwanda.

The start of a new year is always a time for reflection on the past, and a time for resolutions for the future.  Fortunately for you, my eager and faithful readers, my first resolution is to blog more frequently.  

But, before writing of what is to come of me in Rwanda, it is worth looking back at my first five months here.  All in all, I can say that I am relatively happy with what I accomplished.  As for my work duties traditionally associated with those of a judicial clerk, they have been interesting and challenging, largely because the majority of my legal research and writing was in French.  My caseload was somewhat limited, due to the relatively small number of cases in French (and none in English); however, the cases assigned to me were not unlike those one would encounter in the U.S. – civil cases based on complex contracts or fundamental legal principles in business.  This is truly a testament to the growth and success of the recently created Commercial Courts in Rwanda, and of the justice system as a whole.

In addition to drawing my work from the caseload of the Chief Justice, I had the opportunity to advise the Court on several reforms.  This included many new developments with information technology, including electronic case management, electronic filing, and creating an electronic and online database of jurisprudence.  I also worked with the team charged with publishing jurisprudence, to discuss best practices for publication and to create a system of citation – a project that will continue into the new year.  Finally, I drafted a proposal for streamlining judicial services by making the Registry more efficient, and a proposal for the adoption of appellate rules of procedure.  One particular highlight of my time was the ability to work with a former law professor, Jean-Marie Kamatali, on several projects, including a two-day seminar on the state of legal education in Rwanda.

Professionally speaking, I do not yet know how 2011 will shape up.  Before the end of the year, however, I will have completed my term as a judicial clerk and legal advisor to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  My hope is to leave Rwanda having had a positive impact on its justice system, perhaps leaving it a bit stronger than it was when I arrived five months ago.

Working and Working - 26 November 2010

As much as I enjoy relaying my cultural and social experiences in Rwanda, it's good to talk a bit about the work I am doing too.

As a law clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, my duties naturally involve legal research, and drafting bench memoranda.  But, given the language barrier (so few cases in French and none in English) I find myself performing a multitude of administrative tasks, and recommending new rules and best practices for the Court to adopt.  Also, I find myself supporting the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Justice Strengthening Project in Rwanda.

This month, MCC project brought in one of my professors from law school, Jean-Marie Kamatali, who works as a consultant for the project.  It's a great way for me to work with him on some of the trainings and workshops that the MCC project is putting on.  Next week, in fact, one day will be spend working with a select group of judges who will train the judiciary on new judgment writing principles for the courts in Rwanda.  And, two days will be spend at the Seminar on Legal Education in Rwanda, where we will discuss with employers of law graduate and deans of law faculties how to adjust law curriculum to meet the changing needs of law employers.

These sorts of projects help give me faith in the foreign aid community - with real-world projects and tangible results that I have seen, and will continue to see working at the Court.  These are the times when I am very thankful for my post, the reform that is taking place in the judiciary, and that I am fortunate enough to be playing a part.

The First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All The Lawyers (swearing in, 15 Nov. 2010)

Highlight of the summer (or not)? Taking the Ohio Bar Examination. It was July 27 – July 29, 2010. After three long years of law school, and then two months of intense bar study, I along with my peers sat for what proved to be the most difficult exam I have taken. As if the process to become a licensed attorney in the State of Ohio was not difficult enough, I was then sent away with the emotionally trying task of waiting until October 29, 2010 for my test results.

Promising that I would never return from Africa should I fail, I set off for Rwanda just more than one week after the bar exam, pledging to forget about the miserable experience. In the end, my passing score made the entire experience worthwhile. The only downside was that I was not able to join my classmates and friends in Columbus for the Supreme Court’s swearing in ceremony on November 8. But, there was to be a bright side to this . . .

W. Stuart Symington, the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, got wind of my success, and my need to take the oath of office for the State Bar, and invited me to the Embassy for a private swearing-in ceremony. So, one week after the grand event in Columbus, I found myself in the office of the Ambassador perched between the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio (yes, he had a flag of the State of Ohio put in his office for the occasion). With the assistance of a consular officer, Ambassador Symington issued my oath and we signed my affidavit making the process official.

Ambassador Symington, without knowing my love of Shakespeare, delivered a much misused quote from Henry VI – “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Dismissing that it was intended to me nothing more than a mere joke of our profession, Ambassador Symington went on to explain the context – that the intent in the play was to eliminate those who might stand in the way of a contemplated revolution, thus underscoring the importance of lawyers and upholding the rule of law in society. “And that’s what happened here in Rwanda,” the Ambassador said, “they killed the lawyers in 1994 and disregard the rule of law.” It was profound, especially since my first job as a licensed attorney is working as a legal advisor to the Supreme Court, and doing my best to propose legal reforms to strengthen the rule of law in Rwanda.

It was certainly a memorable experience – and a wonderful way to mark the occasion of my swearing in albeit far from friends and family.

 

Just for Fun - 'People wear the darndest things' - 11 Nov. 2010

From my first day in Kigali something struck me as odd, that I really didn’t expect (but probably should have). People here sometimes wear the darndest things. Mostly, I’m taking tee shirts.

I get it – individuals (and manufacturers) give to charity unwanted clothing. Some of this clothing inevitably makes its way to Africa. And, some of this clothing makes its way to Rwanda. It can, however, get a bit surreal.

First, I find a category of clothes that makes me think of friends and family back home. The young teenager wearing a red tee reading “Badger Grandpa” and a guy I regularly pass on my way to work with a 2007 NY Giants NFC Football Champion shirt (sorry Packers fans). I even saw a man outside the Supreme Court with a polo shirt with a BP logo, and the words Lima Refinery Plant (a mere 30 km from where we live in Ohio – and not a major city).

Then there’s the more interesting category. The category of “why the hell would you donate that garbage instead of burning it or turning it into household rags." Example 1: walking through a dirt road in a more impoverished area of Kigali, I saw a young boy with a tee shirt donning a confederate flag, and some ‘redneck’ message. He had no clue – no one did. Sadly, it took me so long to gather my wits that I didn’t even think to take a picture. Example 2: Another great one, and something that I saw my first day in Kigali. Picture this: a tall, and extremely thin man at a bus stop. He was wearing a black tee shirt with white letters reading “Man Boobs Are Sexy.” No, seriously, he was.

But, I get it. Clothes are clothes, especially in the developing world. But, this in no way explains the epic ‘short tie’ that is prevalent here amongst professionals!!

23 October 2010 - Routine

It’s been a while since I have written an entry on this blog. Perhaps it’s because I’ve gotten into a routine: work – study – eat – sleep – hang out with friends. It’s not at all a bad routine, but a routine nonetheless. So, last week when I struck up a conversation with the night guard at our house, Aimé, I realized that there is nothing routine about Rwanda.

A few housemates and I went for dinner, and upon our return had a conversation about what appeared to be bullet holes on the brick wall surrounding the house, and dents in the gate. Aimé, the night guard, confirmed that these were in fact from the fighting in 1994. He explained it like this:

Our house is situated very near to the Parliament building. In 1994 the RPF forces made their way to Kigali, and took over the parliament building. Fighting ensued between the former Rwandan army and the RPF forces at the Parliament and in the surrounding areas. (In fact, you can still see bullet holes and damage from mortar fire at the Parliament building.) As fighting continued, it expanded beyond the perimeter of Parliament, and made its way down the streets and dirt roads that existed in 1994 – one of which was the street where our house is situated. Aimé explained how the RPF forces pushed back the army, who took cover behind walls, trees, etc. – all the while pointing out the areas in front of our house where this happened.

The conversation, and the inner reflection that ensued, were a reminder that there is nothing at all routine about being in a country that is only 16+ years post-genocide.