Grassroots Justice Prize – Competition Details
The biennial Grassroots Justice Prize competition honors the work of non-profits, social enterprises, and public institutions that have demonstrated remarkable innovation, impact, and/or sustainability in their legal empowerment work.
Legal empowerment is about helping people to know, use, and shape the laws that affect them. Eligible projects might use a community paralegal approach to address gender-based violence or may provide legal education on citizenship rights. The key is that they are using legal empowerment to help people overcome injustice in any of its varied forms.
What do the winners receive?
A panel of judges will select three winners of the Grassroots Justice Prize main award. Each of these three winning organizations will receive $10,000 USD cash and will be honored at a ceremony during the U.N High-Level Political Forum in New York on July 15, 2019, all expenses paid.
The judges will also shortlist five applicants for a fourth prize that will be determined by a public vote. The winner of this award will receive $1,000 USD cash and a seat at the 2019 Legal Empowerment Leadership Course.
Who can enter?
The 2019 Grassroots Justice Prize competition is open to non-profit organizations, social enterprises, and public institutions from all around the world.
Organizations that partner directly with Namati are not eligible for the prize.
What kind of projects can win?
We are looking for grassroots legal empowerment projects that demonstrate outstanding innovation, impact, and/or sustainability.
Legal empowerment means giving people the power to know, use, and shape the laws that affect them. Eligible projects might use a community paralegal approach or they may be providing legal education and basic rights awareness. The key is that they are putting the power of law in people’s hands in order to tackle poverty, injustice, or other social problems.
Projects that are restricted to one part of an organization’s overall work will also be considered.
Does entering the competition cost money?
No, there is no fee associated with the prize.
Can I nominate an organization?
The nomination period is now closed.
What are the application requirements and selection process?
There are three stages in selecting the Grassroots Justice Prize winners.
Stage One: Submission of Applications
Complete and submit the online application form by Sunday, March 24, 2019 at 23:59 GMT. (Note: Nominations must be received no later than Friday, February 22, 2019.)
Stage Two: Shortlisting
Namati and the 2019 Grassroots Justice Prize judging panel—comprised of notable legal empowerment practitioners and academics—will shortlist the most promising entries. All shortlisted applicants will be contacted and may be asked to provide more information.
Stage Three: Results
The 2019 Grassroots Justice Prize judging panel will select the winners of the three main $10,000 USD prizes. The winners will be publicly announced at the U.N. High-Level Political Forum in New York on July 15, 2019.*
The judges will create a shortlist of applicants for a fourth prize of $1,000 USD and a seat at the 2019 Legal Empowerment Leadership Course. The winner of this prize will be decided by a public vote, to be held in early July 2019.
*Please note that if a representative of the winning organization cannot attend the event in New York for any reason, the trip will be forfeited. No cash or travel voucher will be provided in lieu of the trip nor will a change of dates be permitted. However, the organization will still receive the $10,000 USD cash prize.
For full conditions and rules for the 2019 Grassroots Justice Prize, click here.