A PASI- trained paralegal is now permitted to attend police interviews and give support to the accused.

Chimwemwe marked International Human Rights Day by holding panel discussions with key stakeholders in the criminal justice system of Malawi. Chimwemwe worked hard to gather testimonys from victims of abuse and used them to provoke dialogue and thought around the issue of torture. The event provided prisoners with an opportunity to pose questions to the police and open a meaningful dialogue around this issue. Members of the media were also invited to report on the event. Chimwemwe hopes that the discussions will lead to an action plan and set of recommendations to follow after. The day was used as an opening for stakeholders in the criminal justice system to cooperate and find solutions for the issues raised.

JusticeMaker Fellow Chimwemwe from Malawi

JusticeMakers fellow for Democratic Republic of Congo, Franck Kamunga, organised an open day at Kinhasa University to commemorate International Human Rights Day on 10^th December. Franck is a lawyer working to repair the criminal justice system in Kinhasa. He has used his JusticeMakers grant to set up a free text messaging service and open phone-line in the city’s 24 police stations. Franck risks his life daily to protect defenseless women and ensure that they have access to legal counsel. Franck used the event at Kinshasa University as an opportunity to discuss International Human Rights Day with students.

Meanwhile in Geneva, the IBJ office held an event at Fenomeno Bar. The aim of the event was to commemorate International Human Rights Day and fundraise for IBJ’s projects. The evening was also intended to increase awareness of the problems IBJ is working to solve, such as ensuring legal counsel from the time of arrest. There was an entrance fee which included a free drink and a special cocktail was on sale called ‘Justice Juice’.  Evans Muswahili, JusticeMakers fellow from Kenya, made a special guest appearance as he was in Geneva for a conference with the U.N.

Left – right: IBJ’s International Programme Director Sanjeewa Liyanage, IBJ’s CEO and founder Karen Tse and JusticeMakers Kenya Fellow Evans Muswahili

Collecting the entrance fee at Fenomeno bar.

Evans with IBJ’s Programme Officer Fanny Cachat.

Inside Fenomeno bar.

On the left: Tim Scheu IBJ’s Innovation Manager wearing his JusticeMakers t-shirt.

The feeling of being part of this global community of committed lawyers, NGO officers, judges, government officials and so many others from all over the world is thrilling. Thank you all.

From my point of view, one of the greatest promises of JusticeMakers lays properly in its capacity to gather committed, entrepreneurial and innovative human rights defenders and its ability to make them all feel like member of a global movement in favor of criminal justice in countries as different as Pakistan, Kenya and Brazil. To my mind, this feeling of belonging to a community that JusticeMakers has been able to spark off will further get transformed into an energy of action and innovation to concretely improve the lives of the thousands of accused persons whose dignity and rights are challenged on an everyday basis.

I have noticed that IBJ Founder and CEO Karen Tse always comes back from her trips with the strong conviction that criminal defense lawyers and other key actors of the criminal justice system lack confidence. They lack confidence in how much change they can bring in their criminal justice system. They feel extremely lonely in the face of this monumental mission – to eradicate torture and other cruel and inhumane treatments around the world. The Burundian and Indian trainees in particular told us how much it meant for them to be and feel part of a global community of defenders this summer. JusticeMakers is an answer to this search for the meaningfulness of collective belonging and action.

Of course, the challenges to build a functional and lively online community are numerous and require a lot of patience, energy and determination. One of the first barriers is purely technical: we acknowledge that the internet access is not available worldwide and that in some part of the worlds, it may be costly and/or irregular. However, technology now provides us with the unique opportunity to maintain a lively group dialogue. We should nonetheless think through a tangible strategy about how to reach some of the most remote part of the world where vulnerable people (often children and women) are the most likely to have their legal rights violated.

Maybe the JusticeMakers team could select one JusticeMakers Ambassador per country responsible for organizing JusticeMakers Roundtable Meetings/Parties (thank you Tupperware for this brilliant idea!) on a monthly-basis in remote villages of their country to keep their community members informed about what’s happening on JusticeMakers.net and then report back to the JusticeMakers community about their suggestions, comments and project ideas?

Maybe the JusticeMakers Team should create one or two “Most Active JusticeMakers Award” to urge the user to engage with other community members, whether on the forum or using the guestbook and to build a constructive and fruitful dialogue on contemporary criminal justice issues.

Maybe, and this is more ambitious, some funds should be secured and allocated on an annual basis to equip the most remote provinces of a country with computers and internet access for the relevant criminal justice system actors of these areas to be part of the online community?

These are just ideas and I would be happy if you, whether you are a JusticeMakers community member or a simple reader could provide me with your insights at: fanny@justicemakers.net

Thanks for keeping the promise of JusticeMakers alive.

The proposals were examples of the individual commitment to taking those bold steps. For instance, Rommel Alim Abitria’s “Paralegal Coordinator Project” in the Philippines is one of many projects speaking to the need to move cases through the system to avoid indeterminate pretrial delay. Focusing on the Mandaluyong City Jail, Rommels hopes to organize a group of paralegal volunteers to provide inmates with legal defense resources and access to the court system instead of languishing in prison.

Other projects, like the proposal submitted by Chimwemwe Tasauka Ndalahoma in Malawi, recognizes the vulnerability of the incarcerated to physical and psychological mistreatment at the time of interrogation and proposed interventions. Chimewemwe hopes to uphold the rights of the accused and to prevent abuse and ill-treatment by raising awareness among law enforcement officials and health professionals.

Many of the applicants see the prevention of violence in overcrowded jail settings and the failure to segregate men from women in detention centers as a priority along the road to justice. Franck Kamunga Cibangu’s project in the Democratic Republic of Congo addresses the abuse of women in prison and proposes to establish a legal clinic for women in the city of Kinshasa.

This is only a brief glimpse among 64 inspiring plans for justice within some of the most fragile legal systems around the world. The rest can be viewed here.

Understanding that people committed to justice are facing similar struggles affirmed my belief that together we will be more equipped and more able to create meaningful change. Sharing ideas and relying upon each others’ expertise empowers all of us to move our systems forward.

JusticeMakers is a step towards developing a network of criminal justice defenders. Through this team effort we begin to raise each others’ awareness of the compelling needs we face each day as defenders, judges, police, prosecutors, civil society and government. The work that you have already done, in your application, is part of a larger movement that includes the work of International Bridges to Justice. IBJ is committed to advancing the development of fair, just, humane criminal justice systems. Your passion for the same cause is the starting point for an on-going collaboration with IBJ. Together we will make a difference in the lives of ordinary citizens who find themselves accused of a crime.