IBJ’s Annual Report 2013-2014

“I can look to the thousands of people who have participated in IBJ’s innovative mission, who have given their hearts and minds in the service of others. Our people in the field are an inspiration. They have taken their own — sometimes harrowing — stories, and turned them into meaningful lessons for others so that they may not live through similar experiences. Without our generous donors and partners who have supported us with funding, resources and expertise, we would never have accomplished what we have. Our victories are yours, first and foremost. Thank you.

There is much to celebrate. IBJ currently runs Defender Resource Centers in six countries: Cambodia, China, India, Rwanda, Burundi, and Zimbabwe. IBJ has established itself as the leading online provider of information on the rule of law for defenders in developing countries, with more than one million visits annually to our Criminal Defense Wiki.

The IBJ JusticeMakers program supports legal reform projects that strengthen local communities through innovative legal re- form. It is noteworthy that IBJ has once again awarded four fel- lowships to projects focusing on the intersection of HIV/AIDS and the criminal justice system, in partnership with the Levi Strauss Foundation. In 2014, we awarded nine JusticeMakers Fellowships.

Today I look ahead to the work that remains. Access to justice is achievable, and we will monitor this as part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Investigative torture is entirely preventable; just as previous generations abolished slavery and apartheid, the conditions are ripe to end this injustice in our lifetime.

And IBJ’s innovation and fresh thinking continues. We are preparing an “Access to Justice Summit” to bring together the ever-expanding legal-rights community of nonprofit groups and international programs. As one of the earliest and most established access-to-justice groups, we understand we have a special responsibility. The event will also bring together leaders from around the world to commit to actions that will ensure that access to justice becomes the rule, and not the exception, in every country.

So to the IBJ community: thank you for sharing our vision and supporting our actions. These twin elements – vision and action – encapsulate what is needed to bring about profound, long-term change, and you are a critical part of it.
May we move forward boldly. Together we can serve others and build a more just world.”

With gratitude,

Karen I. Tse 
CEO and Founder

Your email address will not be published.