ART WORKS PROJECTS
625 N Kingsbury Street, Chicago, IL 606546997 www.artworksprojects.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Art Works Projects' mission is to use design and the arts to raise awareness of and educate the public about significant human rights issues.

The Prosecutors film features: ColombiaThe Colombian armed conflict is one of the longest in the world, rooted in a 10-year civil war between political parties in Colombia. This conflict led to the creation of various guerrilla and paramilitary groups that have been fighting the government since the early 1960s. While the guerrillas claim to be fighting for the rights of poor Colombians, the paramilitary groups claim they are protecting citizens from guerrilla threats. In order to protect its citizens the Colombian government is fighting for order and stability. This conflict has killed over one million people and displaced more than five million, the largest group of internally displaced people worldwide. Those affected also face sexual and physical assault, as well as forced membership and many other violent crimes. This is where civil society and human rights groups come into play as the leading champions of witness protection and prosecution. They work with prosecutors from the Fiscala to bring criminals to justice. The prosecutor from the Fiscala (name withheld at the present time) followed in this documentary is fighting to help victims of sexual violence, assaulted by a paramilitary commander in a rural area of Colombia see justice. Her responsibilities include coordinating a large and dedicated team determined to navigate the road to justice while avoiding life-threatening security threats, legal challenges, and long-held cultural impediments to the public discussion of sexual violence. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINAWhile much of the world has been focused on the war crimes and crimes against humanity tried with much international attention at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, in Bihac, and around Bosnia and Herzegovina, the judicial system has been tackling the hard, often slow, and always challenging effort of ending the global culture of impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict at the most local of levels. This work involves not only prosecutors but also police investigators, witness protection teams, and most importantly, survivors, their families, and those who are accused of crimes. The 20-years that have passed since these crimes were committed (between 1992 - 1995) have in no way lessened the pain for those who live with the daily memories, but they have made a hard task already harder, especially when combined with a strong concern by survivors of shame and stigma. It is against this backdrop that Jasmin Mesic and the team at the Una Sana Canton Prosecutor's Office brings these important cases to court. He and his team are coordinate a network of civil society support groups, social workers, and police investigators with little fanfare but absolute conviction; challenging the idea that rape is the one war crime that justice cannot address. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGOSometimes, problems with access to justice are literally physical. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the size of Western Europe - and there are simply not enough courts, judges, roads, prisons, lawyers, and anything or anyone else necessary to make access to justice easy. These shortages are compounded by, and often caused by, the decades of violence that the eastern portion of the country has endured. But that doesn't mean that lawyers in the DRC have given up, nor does it mean that victims and witnesses are unwilling to testify, even when they risk enormous consequences. Congolese lawyers like Amani Kahatwa and her colleagues at the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative and parters at Avocats Sans Frontires and others are working together with civil society, the UN, and the DRC government to support the ability of the Congolese judicial system to meet the needs of those whose bodies have been the battleground for war. This effort is not fast, nor is it easy, but it is happening.

ABOUT EMERGING LENSEmerging Lens is AWPs annual, juried photography competition for photographers age 18 to 27 whose work focuses on social justice and human rights. Now in its fifth year, AWP is accepting entries from photographers based in the United States.Supporting upcoming documentary photographers and filmmakers through mentoring and providing a platform for their work is an integral part of AWPs mission. Through the Emerging Lens program, AWP hopes to encourage the rising generation of photojournalists to use the power of their lenses to address human rights and social justice issues.

ART WORKS Projects is pleased to announce the launch of Transitions, a four-part international cultural exchange between the cities of Chicago, Bogot, Goma, and Sarajevo. With major support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Transitions will bring together creative teams from Bogot, Colombia; Chicago, Illinois; Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo; and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This group will co-curate a photography exhibition to highlight several national journeys of transitional justice in post-conflict environments. Through collaboration, community conversations, and workshops, the four teams of curators and photographers will explore and reflect upon the unique and shared experiences of a countrys evolution from war to peace, alongside the lessons learned by their colleagues and audiences. This project will consider multiple aspects of post-conflict society and challenges and successes at varying stages of transitional justice, from across the centuries to recently established zones of fragile peace. It will foster a discussion of varied definitions of otherness and the difficulties these multi-faceted communities face. By sharing diverse post-conflict experiences, Transitions will foster the development of new ideas and solidarity among fellow global citizens.

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