WJC GranteesFour new pilot programs to address key rule of law issues in Senegal—including corruption, access to information, and women and children’s rights—have been awarded seed grants through the World Justice Challenge.

This country-level competition comes on the heels of WJP’s Senegal Country Sortie in March 2015, which convened a wide range of stakeholders from across the country—including engineers, religious leaders, lawyers, government, academia, etc.—to assess rule of law challenges and incubate practical solutions. To continue the momentum from these conversations and catalyze participants’ commitment to action, WJP is providing modest seed funds for the proposals with the greatest potential to advance the rule of law in Senegal.

Programs were selected for their innovative approach, as well as for potential reach and impact, among other considerations. Selected grantees will receive up to US $15,000 in seed funding as well as connections to other partners in the WJP network and increased visibility for their work.

Meet the Grantees of the World Justice Challenge in Senegal:

 

UNISEN

Combatting Corruption: Assistance and Capacity Building Project for OFNAC

National Union of Senegalese Engineering Organizations (UNISEN)

This program seeks to build the capacity of the newly created National Office for Combatting Fraud and Corruption (OFNAC) and provide a framework for its work addressing the socio-cultural causes of corruption and creating synergies between anti-corruption actors. A Best Practices Guide for OFNAC and the Ministry of Good Governance based on internationally accepted best practices for combatting corruption, will be created as part of this program adapted to the context of Senegal. This guide will be disseminated in web, print, and CD formats along with “Barometer of Best Practices” tool, which will be used for a series of 15 anti-corruption trainings with businesses and governmental bodies.

 

CONAF

Promoting Children’s Rights and Strengthening Women’s Empowerment

National Committee for Literacy and Training (CONAF)

Many women and children in Senegal Рparticularly those in rural and marginalized communities Рstruggle to access civil registries and lack vital records that are essential to claiming their legally guaranteed rights and benefits. This program will train local representative facilitators in the villages of Ndoun̬me, Keur Mbaye, Mbary, Ngogom, and Samb̬ne on vital records and access to decision-making bodies, and will develop training and registration materials. These activities will be complemented by a series of community talks on the topic of vital records, as well as village caravans that will provide informational materials and register 100 undocumented marriages and 350 undocumented births in the target communities.

 

Article 19

Strengthening Mechanisms for Public Access to Information in Senegal

Ministry for African Integration and Promotion of Good Governance, ARTICLE 19

This program seeks to address poor access to information in Senegal and citizens’ lack of knowledge about their right to information and other fundamental rights. The first phase of this program will focus on creating and passing a regulatory framework for access to information (A2I) by harmonizing existing A2I texts, conducting a study on the successful implementation of A2I laws in Mozambique, and carrying out a lobbying and advocacy campaign. The second phase of this program will focus on disseminating information concerning fundamental rights and A2I laws to the general public in national languages through radio broadcasts and public fora in Kolda, Motum, and Kédougou.

 

Voices of Youth

Voices of Youth

Social Change Factory

In order to encourage youth to play an active role in the social and economic development of Senegal, this program will develop a debate curriculum and competition designed to mobilize students in creating solutions for social injustices. Social Change Factory will hold a series of 16 “boot camps” to train 500 youth on good governance, gender, and other social issues as well as public speaking skills, which they will put to use during a televised debate and contest. The program will also include an online “Campaign 2.0” with interactive activities designed to engage a larger network of youth through social media.

 

Photo Caption: Senegal Country Sortie participants at the opening reception

Photo Credit: Mamadou Gomis 

WJP Staff
title bar

Read More

title bar

COVID Set Justice Back. How Do We Leap Forward?

The most recent WJP Rule of Law Index found that the pandemic has exacerbated rising authoritarianism, eroded respect for fundamental rights, and fueled justice delays around the world.  At the upcoming World Justice Forum (May 30–June 3), advocates and experts from civil society, government, and the private sector will convene to plot a constructive path forward.  How can we reinvigorate momentum to reach Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and ensure dignity and justice for all?

Read More

Join us in The Hague for Justice Week!

The city of The Hague in the Netherlands is home to more than 200 international organizations, including the International Court of Justice. This makes it the ideal setting for the World Justice Forum, the premier international event for advancing rule of law around the globe. The World Justice Forum runs from May 30-June 2, but your experience doesn’t have to start or end there, as it is the anchor event for The Hague Justice Week 2022 running throughout the city.

Read More
2016 march to the U.S. Capitol in protest of police shootings. Credit: Joseph Gruber

Call for Papers: U.S. Rule of Law Data Insights

The United States is facing significant and growing rule of law challenges. Diverse datasets capturing various dimensions of the rule of law reflect mounting concerns about democratic accountability, trust in electoral processes, contested rights of free expression and assembly, and systemic inequities in the U.S. justice system, among other issues, These trends raise questions about the quality of governance in the United States and, given the leadership role of the United States globally, they have implications for respect for the rule of law around the world as well. New data and related advanced analytical and machine learning methodologies hold great promise for improving understanding of these current U.S. rule of law trends and identifying reform needs and opportunities. As part of a new multi-year initiative focused on rule of law in the United States, the World Justice Project (WJP), together with the Wright Center for the Study of Computation and Justice Communities at Dartmouth College and Bright Line Watch, plans a two-day workshop for discussion of works-in-progress generating data insights on contemporary U.S. rule of law issues. The workshop will take place November 11-13, 2022, at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Travel stipends will be available to support participation by those selected to present papers at the workshop.

Read More
Russian tanks lined up for “Victory Day” in 2021. Credit: Elena Ostankova/iStock
Russian tanks lined up for “Victory Day” in 2021. Credit: Elena Ostankova/iStock

Russia, Ukraine and the Dangers of Authoritarian International Law

Vladimir Putin’s claims of genocide in Ukraine were more than a fictional basis to rally domestic support for an invasion, according to University of Chicago Professor Tom Ginsburg. They were an example of a growing trend Ginsburg has termed “authoritarian international law.”  We spoke with Ginsburg, the co-chair of the World Justice Project’s research consortium and the author of the 2021 book Democracies and International Law

Read More