Right after the New Year of 2010, the WJP Board of Directors approved our program plan for 2010 – 2011. The plan includes provisions to expand the number of countries to be measured by our Rule of Law Index to 100, covering 90% of the world’s population; to conduct a series of regional outreach meetings, culminating in the World Justice Forum III to be held in 2011; to sustain our small-grant program, the Opportunity Fund, and collect lessons learned; and to maximize the utility of our Rule of Law Index data by producing topical and analytical reports that can be
beneficial to a wide range of our supporters and partners. Read more
Carrying out these ambitious goals requires an unprecedented level of financial support. The WJP has set a goal to raise $10 million for 2010-2011, ideally to be achieved by funding from a wider variety of sources in the U.S. and abroad: governments, international organizations, corporations, professional firms, and committed individuals. I am pleased to report that as of April 1, 2010, we have secured more than $4 million of that goal. Some of these funds come from long-time supporters but others arrived from new donors, such as the National Endowment for Democracy.
Why would donors in the U.S. and abroad find it worthwhile to support an initiative like the World Justice Project, especially with the current global financial constraints? The reason has to be the WJP’s proven institutional ability to deliver, to innovate, and to impact. Our multidisciplinary approach to the Rule of Law, our adherence to local ownership of the small-grant Rule of Law programs in communities around the world, our transition to an independent 501(c)(3) organization, and our efficient operation with a compact staff, have all started to generate positive feedback and stimulate confidence from our donors.
The day will come when the "World Justice Forum" and the "Rule of Law Index" will be known by every country and community. May I ask our established donors to consider increasing your support to WJP this year? To our prospective donors, could I ask you to help us support the Rule of Law? Can we count on you to be part of the WJP movement? No matter how much you can give, let us join hands to create more communities of opportunity and equity.
I look forward to hearing from you, and to welcoming you at our future events. Please email or call me should you have any questions or suggestions. You will always find me directly and easily – one of the many benefits of a compact staff in which I take great pride.
Sincerely,
Hongxia Liu
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Launching the Final Rule of Law Index - Report 2010
The WJP’s Rule of Law Index is a useful tool for assessing the extent to which countries around the world adhere to the Rule of Law. It is a comprehensive, methodologically robust assessment of the Rule of Law in practice (not on the books), and it is based on data collected from ordinary citizens and experts in all fields of law. Read more
Since releasing the preliminary report at the World Justice Forum II in 2009, Index team members have vetted its methodology and findings in discussions with leading experts and presentations in academic seminars at several leading institutions, including Harvard University, Stanford University, University of South Carolina, George Mason University, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the European Union’s Joint Research Center. The team is also expanding the breadth of the index data, while creating a more user-friendly and accessible presentation.
The Rule of Law Index Report 2010 will be released at the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index launch event later this spring. Specific details for this event are forthcoming; please check our website for more information.
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SAVE THE DATE: June 25-26, 2010
The WJP will utilize its distinctive multidisciplinary approach for a two-day action-oriented MENA Conference on June 25-26, 2010 at the prestigious Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. Read more
This invitation-only event will convene an unparalleled number of regional leaders from various disciplines. It represents a distinct opportunity to promote interdisciplinary understanding of Access to Justice challenges, incubate sustainable actions, and bring long-lasting impact to the region.
The MENA Conference will debate Rule of Law issues relevant to the region with a topical focus on Access to Justice in a broad sense, exploring the political, social, economic, and cultural issues related to “rights” and “justice.”
We welcome WJP supporters and past World Justice Forum attendees to nominate MENA Conference participants who are known regional leaders and activists for promoting the Rule of Law in different fields. Invitations will be sent out in mid-April. We also welcome sponsorship from foundations, corporations, professional associations, law firms and individuals who are committed to supporting the Rule of Law in the MENA region.
For more information on the Conference, please visit the MENA 2010 Regional Conference Website.
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Organizational Advancement as Independent 501(c)(3)
On April 1, 2010, the World Justice Project became a fully independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, marking the end of our transition agreement with the American Bar Association (ABA). Read more
The six-month transition process moved along smoothly, involving various infrastructure components, finance, personnel, IT, etc. We remain grateful to the ABA for its past support and we look forward to our future collaboration with the ABA as one of our co-sponsoring organizations.
The WJP continues to expand its Board of Directors and increase the international diversity of its governance structure. Joining the Board are Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania, and Ashraf Ghani, Chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness and former Minister of Finance in Afghanistan. Suzanne Gilbert, a partner at Holland & Knight LLP, also joined the WJP as a board officer. We are eager to incorporate their guidance into our strategic planning.
We are also pleased to introduce our new staff members: Robin Weiss, Director for Finance and Administration; Sophie Gebreselassie, Communications Associate; and Russom Woldezghi, IT Coordinator. The addition of these staff positions will help us fulfill our obligations as an independent organization and augment our capacity to implement our programmatic goals.
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Forum II Participant in Afghanistan – Agent of Change
Not all of the World Justice Forum participants seek or receive seed grants from the Opportunity Fund. However, this does not mean they do not stimulate activities to strengthen the Rule of Law once they return to their home communities. What they take back from the Forum, first and foremost, are new perspectives and ideas. Read more
Developed out of working sessions on the Rule of Law and international development at the World Justice Forum II, Marnie Gustavson’s "Afghanistan's Community Resource Bank" is a new initiative to foster coordination, communication, and learning among donors and development groups in Afghanistan.
The purpose of this new program is to provide Afghanistan’s development community, despite the daily security challenges, with access to an advisory group made up of individuals with extensive experience in country. The group’s membership is comprised of directors of organizations, businessmen, and leaders in the Afghan community.
The group has already had notable accomplishments. When orphanages were set to close last November, heralding the eviction of vulnerable children at the beginning of winter, the group coordinated an effort to stop the closings and conducted an investigation which pinpointed a chronic problem in the system.
In addition to regular monthly gatherings, the group expects to develop smaller working group meetings and projects that may "self-organize" into coalitions or community-based initiatives.
The overall purpose of the World Justice Forum is to incubate informed and practical action-oriented programs. The WJP applauds Ms. Gustavson and all our Forum and Regional Conference participants on their successes as we work together to advance the Rule of Law.
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Opportunity Fund to Award Small Grants for Round 2
The WJP has identified 12 outstanding multidisciplinary Rule of Law programs to receive seed grants through the second round of the Opportunity Fund. Read more
A total of 79 program proposals registered with the WJP in the course of last few months, each incubated at the World Justice Forum II in November 2009.
These action-stimulating proposals demonstrated great regional and disciplinary diversity. Discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, access to public health information, and natural resource decision-making were some of the diverse Rule of Law issues addressed by the proposals.
The 12 selected proposals cover 28 countries and a broad spectrum of disciplines, including initiatives to:
- Provide victims and women at risk of domestic violence with counseling and pro-bono legal services;
- Leverage the ability of the world’s religious groups and indigenous spiritual traditions to translate the moral imperatives of legal empowerment into community actions; and
- Confront barriers to gaining land titles by farmers by training local community members on land titling process.
The selected proposals will be formally announced on our website in late April. We take this opportunity to thank the staff team as well as volunteering experts who contributed to the structured assessment of each proposal. These projects show great potential for local ownership, methodological innovation, interdisciplinary coalition, and long-term sustainability.
The WJP is committed to helping support multidisciplinary, grassroots Rule of Law initiatives worldwide, and will continue to help identify additional funding for programs incubated during the World Justice Forums and Regional Conferences. For more information, please contact Leila Hanafi, Opportunity Fund Manager at 202-662-1995 or hanafil@staff.abanet.org.
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“Land is Hope” (RDI) – Action in Focus
In some developing countries, women rarely hold secure rights to any property and few have rights to land. Ensuring that women have equal access to land and secure land property rights acknowledges women’s worth and challenges perceptions of inequality within households and communities.
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With support from the World Justice Project’s Opportunity Fund, the Rural Development Institute (RDI) carried out a study in 2009 that examined formal and customary laws and practices governing the rights of women to inherit land in six South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka). The study included an analysis of existing laws and their impact on inheritance rights, as well as an action plan for dissemination of the study's findings and recommendations.
The report emphasized the importance of talking to women about what they perceive to be the most important of legal rights and working with men to champion women’s land rights. Furthermore, acknowledging that awareness-raising schemes can often be misdirected, this research has pinpointed the areas in which increased knowledge can and does improve equity. For example, the report found that training in correct marriage certificate completion, the one place property arrangements between spouses is recorded, is greatly influential.
This stimulating new study analyzes why changing norms and behavior is not a simple task but a complex endeavor. The full report can be found on our website.
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Upcoming Events
See Calendar
Mainstreaming Events
MENA Regional Conference - July 25-26, 2010.
Latin America Regional Conference - September, 2010.
Asian Pacific Regional Conference - January, 2011.
World Justice Forum III - June 2011.
Rule of Law Index
Presentation at the 5th Annual Meeting Hague Rule of Law Network. April 26-27, 2010. The Hague, The Netherlands. Presentation at Indicators as a Technology of Governance: the Latin American Experience Conference. April 26-27, 2010.
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Help Support Us
Each year the World Justice Project continues to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law for the development of communities of opportunity and equity. Through our programs, the Rule of Law Index, the Opportunity Fund, and the World Justice Forums, we are constantly working to build a broad and diverse global constituency to advance the Rule of Law as a foundation for thriving communities.
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With the help of sponsors, funders, and individual contributors, the WJP is able to stimulate the fundamental change needed to make the Rule of Law stronger in our own society and around the world. We welcome you to join our mission and support justice worldwide. The World Justice Project is a charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, and all contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
You can donate online or with a cheque addressed to the World Justice Project.
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Quarterly News Bulletin - 2009
Bulletin - 2009
