This project, lead by the African Conservation Foundation, is developing a global, online information sharing platform to support Rule of Law initiatives and action plans around the world.  Through the map-based system, Opportunity Fund grantees, World Justice Project partners, and other Rule of Law stakeholders will be able to publicize their programs and exchange information on best practices and lessons learned from their program implementation experiences.  WJP Rule of Law Index data will also be disseminated.  The World Justice Map hopes to strengthen organizations' capacity and to create a medium for partnership development and public participation that promotes communication, collaboration, timely action and analysis.

Through Google Maps as the client user interface, this interactive map will provide access to information on the Rule of Law worldwide and allow for the creation of a multi-regional, cross-disciplinary support network for Rule of Law initiatives and programs. The World Justice Map is expected to be available at www.worldjusticemap.org in September 2009.

ACRL's 3 country project was designed reduce gender-based violence (GBV) by working through faith based organizations. The project aims to: increase outreach through multimedia campaigns and advocacy programs; strengthen the capacity of local leaders to combat GBV by providing training to religious leaders; and expand consultations among stakeholders (including government departments, women's rights groups, etc.) on issues of GBV.  With local faith leaders, and the public, educated on women's rights and the dangers of gender based violence, it is hoped that abused women will have stronger advocates and individuals to appeal to within the community.  In response to feedback received in a Kenya beneficiary focus group, ACRL has now designed and is implementing specialized paralegal training for women community members.  It is hoped that this service along with the educational aspects of the program will deepen the support available for victims of gender based violence.  ACRL aims to increase the number of reported rapes and abuses while also creating active community dialogue on gender based violence and a support system for its vicitims.

In light of Madagascar's unique and delicate environmental context, this program has completed a comprehensive study of environmental protection, especially in relation to public health, enshrined in the Malagasy constitution and other laws in Madagascar, including a codification of what categories of protection are enshrined therein (i.e. statues re potable water, air pollution, sanitation, industrial pollution, etc.). This information has been used to conduct 4 seminars in six of Madagascar's 22 regions educating the public on which laws they can appeal to for the protection of their rights and how they can improve their own behavior towards the environment.  Two of the targeted regions have significant mining and extraction factories, which have an impact on health and the environment.  In the other regions, there are industrial factories, which sometimes use unhealthy products in particular threatening local water sources.  The trainings are specifically targeted to address these issues and involve local leaders from the business, public health, and civil society communities.

Lobbying and Civil Society Constituency Building for Freedom of Information Legislation: Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namibia)

This collaborative program is designed to influence policy-makers and public opinion on the need for a legal framework for the "access to information" legislation. This legislation will provide an opportunity for the citizens to access government information within a short period of time. Advocacy for access to information legislation takes the form of: media broadcasts, media coverage, text messaging, materials such as posters, flyers, t-shirts, and car stickers, and commissioned articles.

After creating awareness on the need for FOIA legislation, and engaging the general public for input, the awareness and consensus to be created by this program is expected to result in:

• The establishment of an accessible system for information dissemination from public bodies to Namibian citizens, modeled differently from the current process;
• Namibian citizens will know how to engage the system and find information relevant to them;
• The Namibian media and citizenry will be able to access public information in a timely and efficient manner
• The development a position paper serving as the basis for the freedom of information legislation.

This project uses a Rule of Law framework to strengthen the sustenance of food security in rural Nigeria. In the target community, the majority of the people involved in agriculture are either illiterates or semi-illiterates with little knowledge of their legal rights and obligations. If the Law is ascertainable, identifiable and enforceable, industrial farmers will be able to streamline his activities in compliance with the law thereby leading to effective and better food production.

Implementers selected farmers from rural areas to participate in a training program that will benefit them and their communities by enabling them to:

• List their legal rights as Agriculturists in Nigeria operating in the identified communities in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State;
• Source and access funds available for agriculture in line with Government policies;
• Determine strategies for increasing food production in Nigeria;
• Mobilize fellow community members for group projects and enlightenment on the rule of law for multiplier effect;
• Use scanners for detection of pregnant cattle and small ruminants such as goats and sheep in order to avoid slaughter of pregnant animals which depletes future livestock and animal protein Prepare reports on project or give feedback through other means;
• Monitor group activities;
• Agitate for better laws through the instruments of the rule of law ;
• Access International trade; and
• Understand relevant standards and laws regarding International Trade.

This project partners with local, national and regional media to create awareness about the Rule of Law and its elements, as a means of enhancing citizen participation in governance and improving their capacity to hold the government more accountable.

The project has partnered with Radio Lagos to disseminate Rule of Law awareness radio programs, created a flyer that is being widely distributed at events and meetings; created a jingle in collaboration with members of the Lagos Chapter of the Voice Over Artists of Nigeria to be used during Rule of Law Watch programs; included a Rule of Law Watch Page and Discussion Forum Page in the Human Development Initiatives webpage (http://www.hdinigeria.org/); created a blog (www.hdinigeria.blogspot.com) for relevant issues to be discussed; and held public education talks and sensitization advocacy activities on the Rule of Law.

CLEEN Foundation with support from WJP, in May 2008 organized a Forum on Informal Policing and Human Rights in the Federal Capital Territory ("FCT"), Abuja, Nigeria. It brought together stakeholders from different works of life; religious leaders, traditional leaders, the police, representatives of women's interest groups, market traders, representatives of informal policing groups from all the Area Councils in Abuja except the Abuja Municipal Area Council. Participants developed a draft code of conduct for informal policing and solicited review and comments from a Lagos audience.

The Opportunity Fund phase of this project is aimed at organizing a series of interactive forums to disseminate the new "Code of Conduct". This will start a formal process where members of the informal police groups make periodic reports to the formal police and members of their community.

The 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone is using an Opportunity Fund grant to make the rule of law accessible to marginalized women's groups across Sierra Leone. The 50/50 Group has teamed with experts to simplify and translate three new 2007 laws about marriage, property and domestic violence into the four main languages of Sierra Leone: Krio, Mende, Temne and Limba. Tribal leaders are introducing and reading the simplified laws on a nation-wide campaign featuring informational radio segments to reach rural and urban areas. Recordings of the translations are to be broadcast over the radio twice a day for several months in all 14 districts of Sierra Leone. This effort will directly protect women, help strengthen domestic legal institutions, and bring together the social fabric of a heavily illiterate country.

The aim of this proposal is to create a "Rule of Law Watch" to educate people about the rule of law in post-conflict countries like Sierra Leone and possibly [post Opportunity Fund term] Liberia. The training will culminate in the designing of various Rule of Law awareness-raising messages for discussion in English, and the four major local languages.

The program addresses people's ignorance of what the rule of law entails which prevents them from access to justice and also leads to a culture of impunity in post war countries, like Sierra Leone and Liberia. This will be achieved through structured training and awareness-raising programs, in partnership with the local, national regional media in Sierra Leone in the first instance and, if possible in the sub-region, specifically, Liberia. Members of the print and electronic media will be trained. A training manual will be developed that will include the following topics:

• What is Rule of Law?
• Why Laws must be obeyed?
• Why and how we should promote the rule of law?
• How to hold our government accountable?
• Women's rights are human rights?
• How to end the culture of impunity in post-war Sierra Leone?
• Monitoring the observance of the Rule of law?

A previous labor rights seminar supported by the WJP's pilot subgrants program was conducted concentrating on Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Manyara regions (only 3/26 regions in Tanzania). The seminar brought unpredicted challenge and change of attitude to the majority of participants, employers and employees. This Opportunity Fund grant builds upon that initial seminar to include a further 10 regions, 15 farms, and 15 factories in multidisciplinary seminars focused on occupational health and safety laws and employer-employee relations.

The aim is to create more awareness of the Rule of Law focusing on workers rights. Tanzania has recently adapted her labor laws. These laws are not yet publicized and clear to employers and employees. In a period of 12 months, the project focuses on:

• Rule of Law seminars: (1) training employers and employees on the rule of law and their rights and duties and developing action plans for improvement of labor relations; and (2) elaborating the new labor laws; with both seminars including representatives from law firms and legal organizations, 15 farms and 15 factories from 10 different regions in Tanzania, nongovernmental and rights organizations, and workers unions and employers associations.
• Preparing and distributing Swahili translations and interpretation of the labor laws in consultation with legal experts such as Imboru Chambers and the High Court of Tanzania; and
• Supporting action plans to be executed at the 15 farms and 15 factories through follow up, advice, and site visits

This project focuses on the training of secondary school students and community women on human rights and peace building, especially in regards to gender based violence.  Training workshops empower participants with redress seeking skills through advocacy, legislation and litigation

The project has trained more than 312 participants from community groups and school teams from around the country, specifically targeting remote areas.  Participants have responded strongly to these trainings and left with new capacity building tools.  The trainees have learned mediation skills and can now intervene and use diplomacy to bring about peace among their peers in school and elsewhere. The trained community members too can now become mediators at both household and community levels in their respective villages.  As a result of their empowerment, trainees have the knowledge and confidence to demand justice for victims before responsible government authorities.

This research study lead by the University of Washington examines the effects of donor aid in Zambia, one of the world's poorest countries and largest recipients of foreign aid.  This project will address two related questions:

• 1. How does service provision by non-state actors, such as NGOs, religious institutions, and bilateral donors, affect citizens' perceptions of their government and their willingness to comply with government laws and regulation?; and
• 2. How does the quality of service provision, specifically whether services are provided fairly, effectively, and honestly, affect compliance with government?

This project will contribute to increase understanding of how the provision of services by non-state or extra-state actors affects the rule of law.  Such knowledge will provide donors and governments with essential information regarding how aid affects the relationship between a government and its citizens.

The Southern and Central Africa Multidisciplinary Rule of Law Network is a project by the World Council of Civil Engineers,(WCCE) to establish a virtual center (Rule of Law Network) for collecting and publishing reports of rule of law violations and identifying best practices to resolve them. This will be organized through a network of separate country centers in all of Central and Southern Africa.

The project ensures adherence to the ROL in Southern and Central Africa through the creation of a formal non-governmental structure, "Southern and Central Africa Rule of Law Network" which has been incorporated in order to co-ordinate ROL online (real-time) activities as a centre of excellence for training, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of ROL violations by individuals, companies or governments in each country within Central and Southern Africa.

The ROL Network has been incorporated in Zimbabwe and is in progress for South Africa. The web-portal (http://www.ruleoflawnetwork.org/) was launched in June 2009 and by December 2009 the site is expected to be live and receiving rule of law watch reports from Zimbabwe and South Africa network members. The reports will be compiled and published monthly on the last day of each month. Eventually the network will expand to all the countries in Central and Southern Africa.

This is a study of formal and customary laws and practices governing the rights of women to inherit real property in South Asian countries. The study  analyzes existing formal and informal or customary inheritance and property laws in six countries with regard to the principles of fairness, equality, and accessibility for all individuals - regardless of gender, economic status, caste, or class-and their impact on inheritance rights, as well as potential for reform in the countries. The study pays special attention to efforts in India to help women benefit from progressive inheritance laws. The Rural Development Institute will prepare and disseminate a report with the study's findings and recommendations for targeted action, especially among civil society and advocacy groups. RDI and The WJP will also  work on actionable interventions on how to improve and strengthen women and girls rights to property in areas targeted by the study.

This program will update and improve CLAPV's website (http://www.clapv.org/new/en/index.html) that serves as the organization's primary contact point with its international partners, concerned citizens and domestic pollution victims. The program creates a dynamic forum that helps pollution victims and leaders from a variety of disciplines including the sciences, business, government, law, health, engineering and civil society NGOs to connect to each other and connect to information that will help protect the health and environmental rights of the Chinese people. The updated, more user friendly website and database will create a blog that will allow pollution victims, lawyers and representatives of NGOs to ask questions, make connections and find information; provide extensive information regarding the legal rights of pollution victims and examples of the protection of those rights through a database of past legal cases; increase the number of lawyers capable of handling pollution cases through its downloadable tutorials, blog and databases; and include forms for pollution victims to fill-out that will send their potential case to the appropriate member of CLAPV.

Professors and students at the Yunnan University School of Law are working with other disciplines to provide migrant workers with free legal advice and training sessions about their rights under Chinese law, including the workers' right to labor contracts, salaries, rest, healthcare and social insurance. The Yunnan University team has traveled to more than 10 rural prefectures in Yunnan Province and has reached 1,217 workers to date. During these trips, the team provided training to the migrant workers on their rights under the Labor Law, Labor Contract Law, Industrial Injury Law, Occupational Disease Prevention Law, and Product Safety Law. The program includes a monitoring mechanism, with problems associated with the implementation of the laws to be reported to regional government agencies at the end of the program.

The WJP and the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) recognize that legal empowerment would be impossible without increasing accessibility of the poor to the justice system and that exclusion of the poor from the law is a crucial issue which requires urgent attention. PHFI is responding to the legal and health needs of slum dwellers in Delhi, India. The program's goal is the legal employment of the urban poor with four major foci:  (1) enhancing skills of civil society organizations/ NGOs working among the urban poor communities for increasing the access of community members to legal entitlements; (2) building networks between community representatives, civil society organizations and government agencies to promote legal empowerment of the poor; (3) conducting ‘Training of Trainers' training programs in partnership with local civil society organizations; and (4) conducting ‘follow up' mentorship programs through partner NGOs at the focus areas to monitor and evaluate the training programs.

These efforts are being strengthened by building partnerships with organizations that have contributed to increasing legal awareness of urban slum dwellers in the National Capital Region of Delhi over the long term. The outcomes of the program will be measured in two districts in Delhi which have the largest urban poor populations and are growing at the fastest rates. Based on outcomes data, the dissemination of best practices will be done throughout the metro area.

The WJP and PHFI believe that these objectives will contribute to increasing the accessibility of justice systems of the urban slum dwellers and contribute to strengthening the rule of law, according to the WJP's four universal principles.

• Enhance legal education among the marginalized groups to ensure that they understand the Rule of Law and the role of judiciary and the legislature
• Enhance access to justice by way of providing legal aid

The project targets community leaders, civil society organizations, and the groups that are negatively affected (both environmentally and socially) from resources extraction, development projects or other ill environmental decision making. CEJ lawyers and scientists are currently holding a series of consultations with communities/participants at such workshops or with those who directly complained to the CEJ regarding similar environmental issues and identify the possibilities and suitable actions. The workshops are organized in such a way to meet both legal & environmental education and identifying issues that need legal support or other assistance to follow the due legal and administrative processes.

To date, the project has successfully enhanced  the citizens' awareness on their environmental rights and the available tools and mechanisms to achieve justice which will help make legislature accountable under the law. The project was also successful in  providing  legal aid to the poor and marginalized people who cannot access legal assistance due to lack of finance as well as lack of understanding of the country's legal provisions.

The Law of Nature Foundation, in coordination with the Office of the Ombudsman, is implementing a program to assess the extent to which littoral municipalities in the Visayan Sea of the Philippines have implemented environmental statutes. The project recruited an international team of volunteers and has visited and assessed the level of compliance with basic environmental laws of 22 towns and cities around the Visayan Sea. They are currently preparing comprehensive reports on their findings. The success of the project can be measured by the requests of some local governments that ECA be conducted in their localities and by improvements that have already been seen on the ground on basic environmental issues of solid waste management and marine conservation in certain governments.

A multinational, multidisciplinary project aimed at identifying, clarifying, developing, and improving compliance with rule of law principles applicable to national, regional and international counter-terrorist responses.  In particular, the project will examine how key legal principles can be applied to counter-terrorist strategies to enable legitimate security concerns to be accommodated within the rule of law.  In this way security measures are not seen as somehow exceptional or extra-legal, but as a part of a lawful response.  In addition to examining the relevant legal principles, the project will make practical, implementable recommendations aimed primarily at legal and non-legal policy makers, practitioners and members of civil society.

The project has four primary objectives.  The first is to identify and clarify those legal principles and standards of universal application which are foundational to upholding the rule of law when responding to terrorism.  The second objective is to contribute to the normative development of counter-terrorist rule of law principles, including on those issues where clear and specific principles do not yet exist.  The principles fall into two categories: those which are absolute (ius cogens) and therefore are non-derogable under any circumstances; and those which are qualified, derogable in some circumstances, and/or less specific and clear.

The third objective is to make practical, implementable policy recommendations aimed primarily at legal and non-legal national, regional and international policy makers and practitioners engaged in counter-terrorism efforts, including executive and legislative bodies, legal practitioners and civil society.

The final, closely related objective is to improve current levels of compliance with essential rule of law principles when tackling domestic, regional and international terrorism.

The project focuses on the relationship between the Rule of Law, Principle II, and the role of science and technology in advancing fundamental human rights, including the right "to share in scientific advancement and its benefits."  Science is a common human endeavor that transcends national boundaries, and its benefits are to be shared by all people.  In a global economy, this will more likely be achieved if scientists and engineers are able to pursue their work without undue restrictions to their creativity and research, including the international exchange of people, ideas, information, data, and materials.  Since the law can be used to promote or impede the conduct of science and the development of technologies, it is a critical factor in determining whether a nation will be able to foster a healthy environment for science and technology and their contributions to human well-being.

The project team aims to develop a ROLI for Science & Technology over a 12-month period, focusing on the basic principles and practical legal components needed to foster science and technology within nations.  The Index will reflect the views of scientists and engineers worldwide about what legal framework and specific laws are needed so the citizens of all countries can "enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications".

This is a worldwide initiative that unites legal, technical, and business expertise to help artists and musicians from conflict zones market their media in digital form, create economic ties across borders/barriers, and promote peace and peaceful relations in conflict zones. Through training and consultation sessions with pro-bono legal services, artists are expected to learn about contract and intellectual property issues and how to access legal resources as well as the online marketplace, while working through a rule of law system.

The Peacetones Initiative expects to strengthen the rule of law by supporting the implementation and use of contract and intellectual property laws, and by individuals learning that the rule of law can benefit them. In addition, it contributes to the alleviation of poverty and the promotion of peace in the neighborhoods of project participants.

Program Lessons to Date: Lack of access to technology in many of the sites has caused delays in the contract process, as well as in communications. Relationship building between Peacetones staff and in country artists has also consumed time and helped to address cultural divides blocking the contract and evaluation process. More information on the PeaceTones progress to date can be found on its website at www.peacetones.org, or at one of its constantly updated blogs: http://peacetones-internetbar.blogspot.com and http://danielrainey.blogspot.com.

Replicability: Additional target locations, Ghana and the Dominican Republic have been added to the program. Building the participation of local attorneys and/or familiarizing participants with online legal resources, is expected to promote expansion of this program's approach.

The World Federation of Public Health Associations designed and implemented interdisciplinary training of sessions for the 12^th world Congress on Public Health held in Istanbul, Turkey from April 27-May 4, 2009 and the inaugural Student Congress and Institutes held in April 25-27, 2009.  There were more than 2,300 registrants and 300 students who subsequently participated in the main Congress.

The educational forum made clear that public health professionals are interested in rule of law and are just beginning to understand its implications for public health and their role in making the rule of law a reality. The presentations were exciting and informative.  Participants were made aware of the breadth and depth of Rule of Law. Feedback was extremely positive and the WFPHA was praised for convening such a session.

Since then the WFPHA identified champions from among workshop participants to bring back rule of law lessons learned to public health professionals in their home regions. Within one year post training each of the 50 champions will have structured conversations with at least 25 public health professionals (Total=1,250) to promote the inclusion of the rule of law in the practice of public health.

The goal of the project is to integrate the Rule of Law dialogue and international labor issues and to improve awareness of the Rule of Law in the labor and employer communities.

There are three components to this project:

1. Integrating the Rule of Law Index and international labor law
2. Identify the top three Rule of Law issues confronting both the labor and employer communities and the employer community. A survey instrument that we will be developed and used to canvass labor representative bodies and employer associations, working through the International Trade Union Confederation ("ITUC") and the International Organization of Employers ("IOE") on the major Rule of Law Issues that each is confronting.
3. Implementing an education campaign for union and business leaders

This important project component aims to build capacity in trade union and employer organizations to better understand and use Rule of Law discourse and norms in raising awareness of Rule of Law.

There was consensus among the North America discussion group at the 2008 Vienna Forum that a public forum for continued discussion on the Guantanamo Bay, and related Rule of Law issues would be beneficial. The issues arising in Guantanamo Bay are quite broad and encompass how governments deal with anti-terrorism legislation while respecting international human rights and the Rule of Law. The ripple effect, following closure of Guantanamo Bay will reach far and affect many areas of society. Much work, and research, has already been done on the multitude of issues that arise directly and indirectly from the Guantanamo Bay Facility by groups are operating in separate silos and only limited sharing of information occurs. Today, there is strong need for more coordinated efforts.

The project addresses issues related to the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, and necessary post-closure initiatives which are respectful of human rights, compliant with international customary practices and consistent with principles set out in international law conventions. The output of the project will be a public document outlining appropriate steps post closure of Guantanamo Bay, eg. How prisoners are categorized, hearing processes, deportation processes integration into North American society, etc. The public document may guide government decision making or alternatively, serve as a check on government action.

During the regional breakout sessions at the 2008 World Justice Forum, leaders from various disciplines in Latin America discussed strategies for strengthening the rule of law across the region. After the Forum, several members of this breakout session collaborated on this program to incorporate the rule of law, including human rights and civic duties, into student curricula in elementary and secondary schools. Political scientists, educators and legal experts in Argentina are creating and disseminating 2 sets of brochures and rule of law curricula: one set for 10-11 year olds and another set for 16-17 year olds.

FORES is targeting 25 schools for the program, which are evenly divided between low income and middle income schools. FORES experts are  in the process of introducing  the developed rule of law curricula into all 25 schools  and teachers from all 25 schools will be invited to attend one of four training sessions to learn how to use the rule of law materials. There are plans to continue the program next year and to expand into northwestern and northeastern Argentina.

Access to Information & Women's Health Rights, Fundacion Pro Accesso (Chile, Peru, Argentina)

Control Social: Citizen Monitoring for Human Rights: Universidad of Rosario (Colombia)

Land Rights for Farmers: Zanmi Lasante (Haiti)

Continuing Education in Comparative Law: Center for Governmental Responsibility and the Law and the Policy of the University of Florida (Brazil)

Corruption Report of the Americas, Transparency International (Trinidad & Tobago)

Domestic Violence Centers for Women, Inter American Bar Association (Panama)

Rule of Law Pledge for Businesses: Cuidadanos Al Dia (CAD) (Peru)

Peruvian Agency of Environmental Information: Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA) (Peru)

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Women's Access to Health Information: Partnership Center for Development and Democracy (Lebanon)

The project is:

• Conducting a survey of opinion leaders regarding women's access to health-related information. The project is analyzing the results in order to determine how to proceed with its outreach and networking activities.
• Creating a report that will analyze the reasons why women are unable to access pertinent health information and present solutions for overcoming these barriers. This report will be presented in the form of a recommendation to the Lebanese Parliamentary Administration and Justice Committee
• Creating and distributing a pamphlet about women's lack of access health information
• Coordinating multidisciplinary networking events and processes that engage lawyers, public health officials, women's rights activists, government officials and other influential members of Lebanese civil society on these issues.

Working with the Global Anti-Corruption and Training Project, Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption Center, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers, WFEO convened a train-the trainer program on corruption for 27 leaders from 9 mostly Sub-Saharan Africa countries on April 19-22, 2009. Participants in the multi-day workshop included the heads of national engineering associations, university professors in civil, chemical and water engineering, and senior procurement and human resource specialists. A high number of workshop participants realized they could play a crucial role in denouncing and reporting corruption because they are well placed to detect corrupt practices, whether such practices occur in design, implementation, or maintenance phases. The estimated number of engineers trained is expected to be 1,000 engineers per country over a 5-year period. For more information, please go to www.wfeo.org.