Reflecting on all of the briefings, it was a no brainer for me to write about Jean-Pierre Bemba's case at The Hague for my spot news story. I found myself constantly talking about the trial with my roommates once I returned to Chicago. The case had certainly opened my mind to the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Like Alla said before we sat in on the case that Monday, we're here, we're safe and we don't often think of other things happening across the world. We don't think about the young children, women and elders being abused and raped. We don't think about the violence and the fear.
Alla said it perfectly when she said, "This makes me doubt humanity, but this is every day life for them."
I actually enjoyed writing my story because I feel like I've learned a lot, though there is still more to learn and follow. I'm excited to see this case unfold over the next several months, especially knowing that I actually sat in on it (amongst Bemba's family even).
The hardest part about writing this particular story was finding a way to make it significant for readers. Why should an American audience care about an international court they're not even a part of or the Democratic Republic of the Congo? I feel as if I've made my story significant by breaking down the case by providing enough background, but finding an element that most people can relate to. Most people can't relate to rape, but most people understand how horrible it is.
In case anybody is interesting in following the case, here is Jean-Pierre Bemba's information page on the ICC website: The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo
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