Change from the Ground Up

2024 in Review

Around the world, people are losing faith in governments’ willingness and ability to fix society’s most pressing problems. This disillusionment can lead to disengagement; sometimes, it leads to support for authoritarian leaders. How do we build a resilient democracy that can protect the environment and the rights of everyone, not just the most powerful?

Legal empowerment is a practical, proven solution to defend rights and strengthen public institutions. In most countries, even those with repressive governments, communities can use existing rules to tackle local challenges – like securing a fair deal with a land investor or fixing breakdowns in the delivery of health care. This experience can transform people’s understanding of what’s possible and what’s needed, propelling them to push for better rules and systems. We call this the Legal Empowerment Cycle: knowing law, using law, and shaping law.

In 2024, community paralegals supported by Namati, and our partners, helped everyday people turn the Legal Empowerment Cycle. Their efforts improved the lives of over 2.6 million people. Equipped with evidence of how laws work in practice and an understanding of their collective power, these communities pursued and won transformative changes in laws and systems — nationally and globally.

The Grassroots Justice Network, convened by Namati, is bringing people together across contexts to share knowledge and advocate collectively. We created podcasts, reports, and other practical resources showcasing legal empowerment strategies from 26 countries to strengthen the rule of law and advance justice. We campaigned together to make carbon markets fair. We laid the groundwork for the Grassroots Justice Network Academy, a learning institute designed to catalyze transformative systems change in 100 countries.

A Message from our Leadership