Happy New Year From ABA ROLI

Happy New Year!


As a new year begins, ABA ROLI wants to thank everyone for their dedication and commitment to the rule of law. In the face of a challenging global situation and attacks on the judiciary, lawyers, and legal process around the world, we are reminded of the importance of ABA ROLI's programs. For more than 25 years, ABA ROLI has been a positive force in rule of law development, from small but important grassroots programs to major structural initiatives. Despite a difficult foreign assistance environment at home and creeping authoritarianism abroad, ABA ROLI continues to have a meaningful impact on legal systems and on the lives of people around the world.


ABA ROLI has been moving in interesting directions over the past year. We took the lead on the important discussion around the rights of refugees and migrants with our When People Flee conference. We also began working with more multilateral and intergovernmental organizations in the United States and internationally, though our intergovernmental coordination project JusTRAC and leadership of the Women and Girls Empowered (WAGE) consortium; in Africa, through our work as legal advisors to the African Union; in Asia by helping governments coordinate responses to wildlife trafficking; in Europe and Eurasia by empowering activists to fight for internet freedom. In addition, we have continued to work with delegations for our International Justice Sector Education and Training (IJET) fellowship. This year, IJET brought nearly 50 judges, prosecutors, researchers, attorneys, and count administrators from 16 countries to the US for month-long programs to help them craft strategies for reforms in their home countries’ justice sector. We even added a new program with the support of the State Department called the Criminal Justice Collaboration and Partnership (CJ-CAP). These programs, and others, rely heavily on the experience and expertise of the American legal community, which is why our funders and partners continue to turn to the ABA for support and guidance.
Syrian refugee Ahmed Mohamed Al Ehmish (top) shares his experience with ABA ROLI trained lawyers in Turkey, ABA ROLI DRC Country Director Charles Guy Makongo stands alongside partner Dr. Denis Mukwege (left), and an ABA ROLI trained paralegal assists a woman on legal issues in Mauritania. 

While our work in the US and with multilateral organizations is critical, some of the most exciting impacts we have seen have been in the field.  
  • The work of Dr. Denis Mukwege, one of our partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was recognized with a Nobel Peace prize;
  • In Turkey and Armenia, our programs have been helping Syrian refugees access needed services;
  • In the Central African Republic our researchers tackled structural impediments to justice sector development and our program staff helped alleviate the suffering of widows through our legal aid clinics;
  • When Bulgarian LGBTI activists sought help to criminalize hate crimes, our Justice Works program was there;
  • We worked with the United Nations to protect indigenous rights in the Latin America and Caribbean region;
  • Our partners in Mali and Mauritania continue the fight against hereditary slavery, using advocacy and the law to free hundreds of people who were born slaves
  • The JUSTICE Project continued the development of the rule of law in the Philippines. Ahead of the six-year project conclusion, over 100 representatives from implementing partners, the Philippines’ Supreme Court, other justice sector institutions, and the media gathered at a ceremony to acknowledge the JUSTICE Project accomplishments on December 5, 2018 in Manila.  

ABA ROLI is proud to be associated with these and dozens more projects that promote justice, economic opportunity, and human dignity through the rule of law. Sadly, it’s often said in Washington that international development and foreign assistance don’t have domestic constituencies, making their budgets easy to cut. In fact, this summer, the administration proposed cutting $3 billion from our foreign assistance budget. While the Congress rejected these cuts, understanding the importance of development to the countries where we work and the United States, our shared mission remains vulnerable to future cuts. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to diversify our funding source, and why we’re asking you for your support in 2019. Thank you for your support from all of us at ABA ROLI - together, we are making a difference.

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