Quarterly News Bulletin

April - June 2010

A Letter from the Executive Director

Dear WJP Supporters and Friends,

The WJP’s recent conference in Morocco for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region enjoyed warm hospitality from our local partners and wide press coverage from regional media. During the closing dinner, I asked a participant what is it about the WJP that makes it different and worthwhile? He paused and said the WJP does not impose any political agenda; but rather serves as a platform for participants to debate their own agendas and search for practical solutions for real problems challenging the Rule of Law in their own communities. Read more

As a meeting participant myself at the WJP’s first Asia Pacific regional conference in 2007 and later at the World Justice Forum I in 2008, I came prepared with a list of “proposals” to share with my fellow participants. These proposals reflected the challenges I faced while implementing Rule of Law programs in the Asia Pacific region. Through on-site debates in small working groups and online discussions in the weeks that followed, several of these proposals gradually materialized into solid programs that focused on legal aid for migrant workers in China and environmental protection in the Philippines.

Now, as a WJP staff member, I have the chance to observe more insights about this incubator. For example, before each WJP “mainstreaming” event, such as the recent MENA Conference, our Board Members, Officers and staff work together and consult with our co-sponsoring organizations and other supporters to identify a list of common and urgent topical issues to be deliberated. We also make a great effort to solicit nominations for inspiring speakers/panelists and active participants relevant to those issues in order to facilitate informed and productive small group discussions – the cradle of action plans. For sure, there is a lot of preparatory work before any large-scale international conference. In the case of the WJP, there is even more substantive follow-up work after the conclusion of such a conference, as that is when the action plans really begin to germinate. Process-wise, the WJP is a driver, but the driver for the issues and action plans are the participants themselves.

As the WJP continues to grow, I am confident that participants will continue to value our role as a neutral facilitator. More countries, like Morocco, will welcome and embrace the WJP’s mission and process. More media outlets, too, will be eager to report on WJP’s achievements and help to bring the focus on the Rule of Law to mainstream societies world-wide.

Sincerely,

Hongxia Liu

Hongxia Liu
Executive Director

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Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Rule of Law Conference 2010

The World Justice Project (WJP) is pleased to confirm Hernando de Soto of Peru and Justice Ellen Gracie Northfleet of Brazil as keynote speakers in the upcoming Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Regional Rule of Law Conference 2010 to be held on September 8-10, 2010 in Lima, Peru. Ambassador Roberto Maclean of Peru will deliver welcoming remarks at the opening reception. Scott Fulton, General Counsel for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, is confirmed as a keynote panelist. Read more

Educating American Youth About The Rule of Law

The WJP supports multidisciplinary meetings aimed at strengthening the Rule of Law in the United States. Two recent outgrowths of the WJP domestic mainstreaming meetings have taken impressive steps toward educating American youth on the Rule of Law.
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MENA Conference Facilitates Partnerships and Commitments to Advance the Rule of Law

Prominent leaders from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) convened on June 25-26, 2010 at the World Justice Project MENA Regional Rule of Law Conference in Ifrane, Morocco, to address Rule of Law issues critical to the region and to develop multidisciplinary action plans to advance the Rule of Law. Read more

WJP Rule Of Law Index^TM 3.0

The WJP Rule of Law Index^TM team continues to expand the breadth of the Index data, while at the same time creating a more user-friendly and accessible presentation. Read more

A Window Into the Opportunity Fund's Impact in India and Sri Lanka

In June 2010, WJP Program Associate Steven Ross braved over 105 degree Fahrenheit temperatures and conducted site visits for two Opportunity Fund Programs: the Public Health Foundation of India and the Centre for Environmental Justice in Sri Lanka. Read more

Steven provides a glance into communities that were improved by strengthening local adherence to the Rule of Law.

Public Health Foundation of India

The New Delhi community I visited was rife with sewer systems clogged with garbage, leaky water pipes, and piles of uncollected refuse. With limited knowledge of their rights, community members were resigned to accepting the status quo until the Public Health Foundation (PHFI), with support from the WJP’s Opportunity Fund, became involved. Working with community-based organizations Carenidhi and Urban Health Resource Centre, PHFI trained volunteers in the Shahdara District on their legal rights and the use of India’s highly progressive Right to Information (RTI) Act (2005). Those trained through PHFI have taken it upon themselves to assess community needs which are largely related to health, sanitation, and nutrition. PHFI’s involvement has resulted in several tangible successes: within days of submitting an RTI request, clogged sewers were cleaned and uncollected piles of garbage were removed. This success inspired further collective action around water scarcity and access to health dispensaries. As a result of the training, community members have also expressed a new confidence and empowerment in dealing with government officials.

Centre for Environmental Justice

Though Sri Lanka has a strong legal framework for environmental protection, legal awareness is limited in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, where civil society initiatives were previously hampered by civil war. After conducting a successful initial project through an Opportunity Fund grant from the WJP, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) is expanding its geographic scope to promote environmental education and awareness and litigate public interest cases in the Northern and Eastern provinces. The CEJ found that its multidisciplinary approach of engaging lawyers, government officials, scientists, and civil society enhances the effectiveness of its programs. I had the pleasure of participating in two workshops and found that in addition to raising awareness, the CEJ is removing other barriers to civil society development in these previously isolated provinces. In areas where community members are often hesitant to interact with local officials, the CEJ is building bridges between local communities and the government. This approach is likely to not only strengthen the enforcement of environmental law in these provinces, but empower residents to hold government accountable in other areas of their lives as well.

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A Letter from Nigerian Activist Reverend Musa

The following is a letter from World Justice Forum II participant and Opportunity Fund grantee Reverend Oluwafemi Olaore Musa: "I arrived in Austria in 2009. I had a great burden to write a proposal that could alleviate the poverty of my fellow Nigerians." Read more

New Recipients of the Opportunity Fund

Of the 79 proposals incubated at the World Justice Forum II, 12 outstanding multidisciplinary Rule of Law programs have been awarded seed grants through the WJP Opportunity Fund.
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Acknowledgement of Appreciation to Recent Donors

We would like to thank the following donors for their recent support: the Neukom Family Foundation, Microsoft, GE Foundation, Walmart, the National Endowment for Democracy, Hewlett-Packard, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the law firm Major, Lindsey & Africa. We welcome the support of new donors. Organizations or individuals wishing to support the WJP may contact Development Officer Sean K. O'Brien at (202) 407-9329 or obriens@wjpnet.org. Donations can also be made online at www.worldjusticeproject.org/support

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.