IBJ’s work in the DRC started in 2016, with the opening of a Defender Resource Center in Bukavu, in the province of South-Kivu. This center acts as the hub for DRCBJ’s activities, which include providing legal aid to the vulnerable accused, training defense lawyers, conducting rights awareness campaigns and monitoring and visiting detention centers.

For the flyer in PDF, click here.

Geneva, Switzerland – 14th August 2018

Today, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is announcing the launch of its 2018 “Justice for All” Asia JusticeMakers Competition. JusticeMakers is the world’s first global online platform in the area of criminal defense.

IBJ is reaching out to lawyers and justice/legal organizations for innovative proposals and strategies to promote criminal justice across Asia. The Competition will award US$15,000 in project funding to lawyers/organizations who have the most innovative and effective methods to increase access to justice and promote the rule of law. Competitive projects will work to remove barriers to justice for innocent accused, improve access to justice for juvenile defendants, or tackle gender discrimination in the criminal justice system.

As of today, IBJ has made awards to 69 JusticeMakers Fellows from 42 countries throughout the world through its online competition, which identifies, trains, and funds hidden heroes of justice worldwide who are committed to promoting positive reform within their respective countries.

The JusticeMakers Competition requires individuals to submit proposals detailing an innovative strategy for promoting criminal justice implementation at the grassroots level.

About the JusticeMakers Program 

IBJ initiated the JusticeMakers Program in 2008 in an effort to connect defenders in their quest to curb torture and promote legal rights in their respective communities. Since then, IBJ has conducted six global and regional JusticeMakers competitions.  The JusticeMakers Program fuels the international movement towards ensuring that every man, woman and child has the right to competent legal representation, a fair trial, and protection from torture as well as cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.  As the result of collaborative efforts and through the use of web technologies, an online learning platform was launched, which serves the purpose of building a network of defenders, facilitating discussions, and hosting competitions which fund projects to promote access to justice within participants’ respective communities.

The Competition winners and previous JusticeMakers Fellows form lasting relationships with hundreds of partner organizations across the globe, including but not limited to: governmental and civil society organizations, universities, and national bar associations.

For more information about the JusticeMakers Community, please visit https://www.ibj.org/category/activities/justicemakers/

For specific questions please send an email to justicemakers@ibj.org.

About International Bridges to Justice (IBJ)

In recognition of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is dedicated to protecting the basic legal rights of ordinary individuals in developing countries. Specifically, IBJ works to guarantee all individuals the right to competent legal representation, the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to a fair trial. IBJ currently has 11 country programs and projects in over 40 countries in the world, including Burundi, Cambodia, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Mexico, Myanmar, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Syria and Zimbabwe.

Press contact:

justicemakers@ibj.org

+41 22 731 2441

For the flyer in English, click here.

.للبيان الصحافي والملصقات في اللغة العربية، إضغط هنا

Geneva, Switzerland – 29^th June 2018 – Today, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is announcing the launch of its 2018 JusticeMakers Access to Justice Competition in Syria. JusticeMakers is the world’s first global, online, innovative platform in the area of criminal defense.

IBJ is reaching out to lawyers/human rights defenders for innovative proposals and strategies to promote criminal justice in Syria. The Competition will award US$2,000 in project funding to lawyers/defenders who have the most innovative and sustainable access to justice projects aiming to provide early access to counsel for the accused, and prevent torture which is often used as an investigative tool. Projects should also increase awareness and enforcement of due process rights in their communities.

As of today, IBJ has built a global community of 69 JusticeMakers Fellows from 42 countries throughout the world. One of its main components is the online competition, which identifies, trains and funds hidden heroes of justice worldwide who are committed to advocating for positive reform within their respective countries.

The JusticeMakers Competition requires individuals to submit proposals detailing an innovative strategy for promoting criminal justice implementation at grassroots level.

About the JusticeMakers Program
IBJ initiated the JusticeMakers Program in 2008 in an effort to connect defenders in their quest to curb torture and legal rights abuses in their respective communities. Since then, IBJ has conducted six global and regional JusticeMakers competitions.  The JusticeMakers Program fuels the international movement towards ensuring that every man, woman and child has the right to competent legal representation, a fair trial and protection from torture as well as cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.  As the result of collaborative efforts and through the use of web technologies, an online community platform was launched, which serves the purpose of building a unified network of defenders, facilitating discussions and hosting competitions which fund projects to curb the abuse of legal rights within participants’ respective communities.

The Competition winners and previous JusticeMakers Fellows form lasting relationships with hundreds of partner organizations across the globe, including but not limited to: governmental and civil society organizations, universities, and national bar associations.

For more information about the JusticeMakers Community and to apply for a 2018 JusticeMakers Fellowship 2018, visit https://www.ibj.org/programs/justicemakers/applications/

For specific questions please send an email to justicemakers@ibj.org.

About International Bridges to Justice (IBJ)

In recognition of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is dedicated to protecting the basic legal rights of ordinary individuals in developing countries. Specifically, IBJ works to guarantee all individuals the right to competent legal representation, the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to a fair trial. IBJ currently has 11 country programs and projects in over 40 countries in the world, including Burundi, Cambodia, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Mexico, Myanmar, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Syria and Zimbabwe.

Press contact:

yiukh@ibj.org, justicemakers@ibj.org

+41 22 731 2441

Press release on the advance of our JusticesMakers fellows’ projects

26 June 2017 – On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, IBJ was thrilled to to announce the selection of 10 Fellows of the 2017 JusticeMakers Competition for Prevention of Torture in Francophonie Africa. The 2017 JusticeMakers Competition was financed by Global Affairs Canada and promoted with the support of the CIB (Conférence Internationale des Barreaux) and Equitas – International Centre for Human Rights Education.

Below is a summary of the progress of  the winning projects, including the JusticeMakers’ current activities and impact on their communities.

 Press Release JM Fellows 2017- mid term projects

IBJ Missions ? 

In recognition of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is dedicated to protecting the basic legal rights of individuals in developing countries. Specifically, IBJ works to guarantee all citizens the right to competent legal representation, the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to a fair trial.

Geneva, Switzerland – 26 June 2017 – Today, on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, IBJ is thrilled to announce the selection of 10 Fellows of the 2017 JusticeMakers Competition for Prevention of Torture in Francophonie Africa. The 2017 JusticeMakers Competition is financed by Global Affairs Canada and promoted with the support of the CIB (Conférence Internationale des Barreaux) and Equitas – International Centre for Human Rights Education.

The JusticeMakers Competition supports local criminal justice actors in their fight to guarantee the legal rights of all individuals, namely the right to competent legal representation, the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to a fair trial.

Each JusticeMakers Fellow will receive a grant of $5,000 to implement their project to strengthen justice in his or her country with the support of IBJ. The 10 winning applications for the 2017 JusticeMakers Competition come from 7 countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Mauritania and Togo. 5 of the projects are led by women. The projects of our Fellows are firmly rooted in their local community and are a source of innovation, motivation and reinforcement of the criminal justice system for their most vulnerable populations.

The JusticeMakers program is central to IBJ’s strategy to advance access to justice. By connecting, training and funding social innovators around the world, JusticeMakers empowers local lawyers and human rights defenders to advance justice in their communities.

IBJ extends its sincere thanks to all the applicants and to the esteemed judges: Philippe Currat, former General Secretary of the International Criminal Bar, Elie Elkaim, President of the Commission for Human Rights of the Bar Association of the Canton of Vaud, Nathalie Nansha, President of the Equitas Network in DR Congo, Ahmed Bouhoubeyni, Honorary President of the Conférence Internationale des Barreaux, Isidore Rufyikiri, former President of the Burundi Bar Association, and Karen Tse, Founder and CEO of International Bridges to Justice.

We look forward to seeing our Fellows in action and wish them great success.

The Fellows are:

Papa Amadou BA                                Mauritania
Ibrahima DIALLO                               Guinea
Thérèse DONU                                    Togo
Noéllie Iyewa GAGLO                         Togo
Francis KONE                                      Côte d’Ivoire
Dieudonné MUNGUWAMPAGA         D.R. Congo
Gisèle NGUNGUA SANGUA                 D.R. Congo
Khadi OUEDRAOGO SY                     Burkina Faso
Charlotte TCHAKOUNTE                    Cameroon
Wminpiou Gontran WALE SOME       Burkina Faso

 About International Bridges to Justice (IBJ)

In recognition of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is dedicated to protecting the basic legal rights of ordinary individuals in developing countries. Specifically, IBJ works to guarantee all individuals the right to competent legal representation, the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to a fair trial. IBJ currently has programs and projects in over 40 countries in the world, including Burundi, Cambodia, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Press contact:

Sonia Liang
Email: sliang@ibj.org, justicemakers@ibj.org
Telephone: +41 22 731 2441

www.ibj.org

Community rights awareness reaches journalism students at Siantou University

In February and March 2017, IBJ conducted an ambitious campaign in Cameroon designed to raise awareness about human rights, criminal procedure and the functioning of the justice system. The program was carried out in the context of IBJ’s Torture Prevention Program in Francophone Africa supported by the Government of Canada. The Cameroonian NGO Advocacy Group, which is led by IBJ JusticeMakers Fellow Yvon Mabofe, implemented the project on IBJ’s behalf.

In a span of 4 weeks, over 2 million people were reached through the campaign. The campaign used a two-pronged approach to raise awareness as widely as possible. The two main activities were:

1. A radio show called “La Minute du Droit” (The Minute of Rights) which ran twice a week for four weeks on the station Radio Campus. Each week had a particular theme: arrest (Week 1), interrogation (Week 2), the right to a lawyer (Week 3), and the functioning of the criminal justice system (Week 4).
2. 3 community rights awareness events explaining the same four themes – the procedure of arrest, interrogation, the right to a lawyer, and the functioning of the criminal justice system – at several Cameroonian schools, universities, small businesses and government administrations.
   

   Members of a small business learn about legal rights in Yaounde

Awareness session for stewardship personnel of the presidency of the Republic of Cameroon

Experts from the Cameroon Bar Association, the University of Yaoundé II, journalists, opinion leaders, and human right experts made valuable contributions both to the radio show and to the community rights awareness events. With a diverse range of organizers and participants, the campaign engaged over 2 million people, especially youth. Over 85,000 students listened to the radio show, and information sessions were held for students from the Lycée bilingue d’Ekounou, Siantou University and the University of Yaoundé. Both the radio show and the community awareness events generated significant interest, particularly among women and educational institutes.

Team of experts during the second emission of “The Minute of Rights”

Want to listen to the radio show firsthand? You can now listen to the 8 emissions of The Minute of Rights directly on the IBJ website!

The Minute of Rights, Emission 1: Arrest

The Minute of Rights, Emission 2: Arrest, continued

The Minute of Rights, Emission 3: Interrogation

The Minute of Rights, Emission 4: Interrogation, continued

The Minute of Rights, Emission 5: The Right to a Lawyer

The Minute of Rights, Emission 6: The Right to a Lawyer, continued

The Minute of Rights, Emission 7: The Functioning of the Justice System in Cameroon

The Minute of Rights, Emission 8: The Functioning of the Justice System in Cameroon, continued

Banners, posters and flyers distributed at the awareness campaigns

IBJ would like to extend its sincere thanks to the following organizations and experts for making the campaign possible:

• Advocacy Group
• L’Ecole instrument pour la paix – Cameroun
• Radio Campus UY2
• Siantou University
• Lycée Bilingue d’Ekounou
• The business Nkot et fils
• Mr Yvon Mabofe, head of Advocacy Group and IBJ JusticeMakers Fellow
• Mr Beyas, Cameroon Bar Association lawyer
• Mr Baye, Cameroon Bar Association lawyer
• Ms Estelle Manga, Cameroon Bar Association lawyer
• Mr Philippe Nouka, Cameroon Bar Association lawyer
• Cabral Libii, human rights expert, journalist and professor at the University of Yaoundé II
• Joseph Raoul Makondo, human rights expert, professo rat the University of Yaoundé II
• Chamberlin, journalist at Radio Campus.

A Glimpse into Access to Justice Projects in 4 Countries

IBJ JusticeMakers Fellows are paving the way to ensuring that their communities have functioning legal infrastructure that respect the rights of all individuals. From assisting prisoners living with HIV/AIDS, to ensuring youth have protection from abuse within the criminal justice system, to improving public awareness about legal rights, JusticeMakers are leading the way as social entrepreneurs in the field of justice.

With a unique insight into the local challenges that affect their community and a support network from IBJ giving access to resources and partners, JusticeMakers are uniquely equipped to take on pressing justice issues from the bottom-up.

Here, we give a brief glimpse of four courageous JusticeMakers in the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Harshi Perera from Sri Lanka

Harshi advocates for the rights of children and women, perceiving these groups as some of the most vulnerable in Sri Lanka.

She and her team have successfully:

• Released five women held in pre-trial detention from Welikada Prison’s Female Prison Ward in Colombo. One of the women had been held in pre-trial detention for over eight years. Another had been imprisoned with her eight-month-old daughter.
• Built a comprehensive support network to improve the experiences of Sri Lankan women in their dealings with the justice system and documented them in over 25 stories.

Tin Ko Ko from Myanmar

Tin Ko Ko for his JusticeMakers project set out to raise awareness about the specific issues Myanmar’s transgender community faces with relation to police abuse and legal rights violation.

During his Fellowship, Mr. Ko Ko:

• Held public events to educate citizens about the LGBT community, many of whom who were unaware about the nature of the community and the struggles that they face.
• After months of continuous legal assistance, Mr. Ko Ko got an innocent transgender woman acquitted – a victory for transgender rights in Myanmar

Arianne O. Reyes from the Philippines

Ms. Reyes and her team of young lawyers have made considerable improvements in bridging the gap between existing legislation involving children in conflict with the law and the way it is implemented in practice. In the Philippines, law enforcement officials are often unaware or have limited understanding of their role in the prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in conflict with the law.

To address this, she and her team have:

• Sustained communications with psychologists and juvenile justice welfare advocates. In addition, they have established a pool of volunteers who feel strongly about juvenile justice and who are willing to lend their time and effort to raise awareness.
• Begun developing a juvenile justice website, Project J, with resources and materials. The purpose of this site is to be a one stop shop for all relevant resources on the Philippines’ juvenile justice welfare act and a starting point for advocates and researchers.

Laofang Bunditerdsakul from Thailand

In remote parts of Thailand, rights of indigenous and ethnic communities are often dismissed and overlooked by local authorities. These communities are often isolated and have limited understanding of their rights and legal procedures. Mr. Laofang aims to improve the situation by conducting real trials in which other villagers and community leaders would be invited to witness and learn from the process.

He has:

• Represented Mr. Su Wang-poh, a native Hmong villager, to assert his tribal land rights in a case against local authorities and has negotiated with the local national park officer. They have now agreed to make a new boundary amendment for community land.

Speaking at the General Assembly, Mr. Zomissi introduced the 2017 JusticeMakers Competition and IBJ’s work in francophone Africa to over 1,000 lawyers, bar association representatives, young legal professionals, and CIB members from dozens of countries that share the French language and a common judicial tradition.  IBJ is grateful to the CIB’s valuable support, and hopeful that this new partnership opens the way towards deeper collaboration for our organizations’ shared objectives in the realm of access to justice.

The CIB is a promotional partner of the 2017 JusticeMakers Competition.

Read the CIB’s article on the JusticeMakers Competition here.

Geneva, Switzerland – December 1, 2016 – Today, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is announcing the launch of its 2017 JusticeMakers Prevention of Torture Competition in Francophonie Africa. JusticeMakers is the world’s first global, online, innovative platform in the area of criminal defense.

IBJ is reaching out to lawyers, human rights defenders, justice and law enforcement officials for innovative proposals and strategies to promote criminal justice in Francophonie Africa. The Competition will award US$5,000 in project funding to lawyers/defenders who have the most innovative and sustainable access to justice projects aiming to prevent/eradicate torture as an investigative tool and increase awareness and enforcement of due process rights in their communities.

“Investigative torture is not an exception but a norm in many developing countries. IBJ has courageous JusticeMakers Fellows around the world working to prevent torture and protect the most vulnerable,” said Sanjeewa Liyanage, International Program Director of IBJ. Mr. Liyanage further stated, “We are pleased to seek defenders in Francophonie Africa and recognize them for what they do and support them in the long run.”

As of today, IBJ has built a global community of 59 JusticeMakers Fellows from 38 countries throughout the world. One of its main components is the online competition, which identifies, trains and funds hidden heroes of justice worldwide who are committed to advocating for positive reform within their respective countries.

The JusticeMakers Competition requires individuals to submit proposals detailing an innovative strategy for promoting criminal justice implementation at grassroots level.

IBJ initiated the JusticeMakers Program in 2008 in an effort to connect defenders in their quest to curb torture and legal rights abuses in their respective communities. Since then, IBJ has conducted six global and regional JusticeMakers competitions.  The JusticeMakers Program fuels the international movement towards ensuring that every man, woman and child has the right to competent legal representation, a fair trial and protection from torture as well as cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.  As the result of collaborative efforts and through the use of web technologies, an online community platform was launched, which serves the purpose of building a unified network of defenders, facilitating discussions and hosting competitions which fund projects to curb the abuse of legal rights within participants’ respective communities.

The Competition winners and previous JusticeMakers Fellows form lasting relationships with hundreds of partner organizations across the globe, including but not limited to: governmental and civil society organizations, universities, and national bar associations.

For more information about the JusticeMakers Community and to apply for a 2017 JusticeMakers Fellowship 2017, visit http://www.justicemakers.ibj.org.

For specific questions please send an email to justicemakers@ibj.org.

The 2017 JusticeMakers Competition is sponsored by Global Affairs Canada.

About International Bridges to Justice (IBJ)

In recognition of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is dedicated to protecting the basic legal rights of ordinary individuals in developing countries. Specifically, IBJ works to guarantee all individuals the right to competent legal representation, the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to a fair trial. IBJ currently has programs and projects in over 40 countries in the world, including Burundi, Cambodia, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Press contact:

Sonia Liang

Email: sliang@ibj.org, justicemakers@ibj.org

Telephone: +41 22 731 2441