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Real Lives, Real Change: Rule of Law

Read the stories below to learn how Center's Rule of Law work impacts the lives of women, children, and men around the world.

Young Zambian Activist Walks the Walk

Emmanuel Zulu is a young political activist in Zambia with strong convictions and sturdy shoes. In November 2021, Zulu embarked on a nine-day, 255-mile walk from his hometown of Chingola to the capital city of Lusaka to raise awareness about government accountability; transparency; and inclusion of youth, women, and people with disabilities in civic decision-making. Learn more »

Meet Liberia’s Next Generation of Information Champions

Sometimes doing the right thing makes people uncomfortable. When Regina N. Bee, a Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center youth information ambassador in Bong County, Liberia, told students that the country’s freedom of information law gave them the right to ask their principal about the status of their ID cards, the principal accused her of brainwashing them. Learn more »

Blog | Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s Long Standing History of Waging Peace in War-Torn Nations

By Paige Alexander, chief executive officer of Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ

We at Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà are horrified by the devastation in Ukraine. As we have helped other nations to rebuild after wars, we will continue waging peace. Learn more »

Vice President Ready to Keep the Peace

Barbara Smith, vice president of Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s peace programs, says she was born to her line of work. Her mother is from Germany and taught her the value of international perspectives. Her father was in the military and ingrained in her the importance of service. Learn more »

Determined Student Finds Route to College

Marthaline Nuah is determined to get a college education. There is no university in her village in northeastern Liberia, so she left home and moved in with an aunt who lives in Saniquellie, which is the capital of Nimba County and home to a community college. Her aunt gave her the money to pay for college entrance exams, which she passed, and for the college’s admission fees. But there wasn’t enough left over for courses. Learn more »

Blog | Inform Women, Transform Lives Q and A with Laura Neuman

By Laura Neuman, director, Rule of Law Program

Laura Neuman, senior advisor to Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ, discusses the Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign, what it’s all about, and why it matters. Learn more »

New App Helps Liberians Report Good and Bad Police Behavior

Liberians now have a new, easy way to file complaints – or compliments – about police officers. With support from Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ, a Liberian company has developed the Find Officer app, part of a larger effort to build trust in the police by increasing accountability. Learn more »

Blog | Courtyard Meetings Help with Benefits

By Laura Neuman, director, Rule of Law Program

Selima Begum, 28, is the mother of a 7-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. They live in Tuker Bazar Union, Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. Since her divorce, Begum has struggled to provide necessary medical care for her son, at times having to forgo routine medical treatments because of a lack of money. Though she works as a housecleaner when she can, it often does not pay enough to meet all her family’s needs. Learn more »

Route to Disability Allowance a Mystery No More

Selima Begum, 28, is the mother of a 7-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. They live in Tuker Bazar Union, Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. Since her divorce, Selima has struggled to provide necessary medical care for her son, at times having to forgo routine medical treatments because of a lack of money. Though she works as a housecleaner when she can, it often does not pay enough to meet all her family’s needs. Learn more »

Waging Peace Around the World

Building a peaceful world involves more than ending war.ÌýA peaceful world is one in which justice thrives, everyone’s rights are respected,ÌýandÌýpeople have access to essentials.ÌýÁù¾ÅÉ«Ìà hasÌýdozens of programs andÌýprojectsÌýdedicated to making the dream of peace a reality.ÌýThis slide showÌýexploresÌýa handful of them. Learn more »

Transforming Lives with Information: Video Close-ups on Guatemala

Information has the power to transform lives. But only if you can access it. In 2014, Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s Global Access to Information program conducted a study that found that women in Guatemala have a harder time than men accessing information to which they’re entitled. This includes information about things that could make enormous differences in their lives – information about government benefit programs, about laws that protect them, about business and educational opportunities. Learn more »

Theodosia Borbor: A Passion for Justice

Theodosia Borbor may not be a lawyer, but she knows Liberian law. And she’s passionate about making sure others do, too. Borbor is a community justice advisor with Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ-supported Catholic Justice and Peace Commission. She provides free mediation services and organizes community awareness sessions for the people of Margibi County, which sits about an hour from Liberia’s capital, Monrovia. Learn more »

Meet a Woman Who Knows her ‘Potential’

The 40-year-old mother of four is the first female driver for Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s Access to Justice Project in Liberia – and one of the country’s few female professional drivers, period. Learn more »

Blog | From the CEO: Small Victories Add Up

By Ambassador (ret.) Mary Ann Peters, chief executive officer

It’s no secret that this world is full of problems—some big and terrifying, some small and trivial. It may seem overwhelming at times, but it doesn’t have to be paralyzing. Learn more »

Turning Information into Income

Sometimes, something as simple as a radio message can change lives. Olivia Stewart, a resident of New Georgia Estate, a mostly low-income community on the outskirts of Liberia’s capital city of Monrovia, was washing up one afternoon in 2015 when she heard a public notice for government grants for projects empowering women and youth. Learn more »

Blog | Inform Women, Transform Lives

By Laura Neuman, director, Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Global Access to Information Program

Access to information is a transformative human right. Enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, access to information is foundational not just for the exercise of other rights, but also for economic empowerment and meaningful participation in public life. And yet, a large portion of the world’s population is unable to enjoy this right. Learn more »

The Brickmaker’s Tale: How a $30 Debt Almost Cost a Man his Freedom

Walking home from his office in Kakata, Liberia, Victor Tuazama stumbled upon a confrontation between a police officer and a citizen. When it became clear that the citizen was about to be arrested because he owed a man the equivalent of about US$30, Tuazama, who works as a community justice advisor for Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ-supported Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, intervened. Learn more »

Request for Information Leads to ID Card, Pension

For nearly three years, 83-year-old Blanca Nieves Valdez didn’t exist. She was living in a cozy house in the small town of San José la Arada, Guatemala, doing all the things that real people do —eating, sleeping, chatting, chores — but as far as the government of Guatemala was concerned, she was a non-person. The official record book containing her information was destroyed, so when the government changed its ID system, it didn’t issue her a new ID card. Learn more »

Eddoes and Empowerment: Women Work to Build Better Life

In Liberia’s Nimba County, many women are raising their children on their own. Fathers often contribute little or nothing to their care, even if the mothers take them to court. Judges may side with the women and order the men to pay child support, but too often the men make a payment or two and then slip off to some other part of the country, never to be heard from again. Learn more »

Blog | Keeping the Peace: Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Helps Liberia’s Chiefs Prepare for Bigger Role in National Security

This month, the United Nations turned over the responsibility for Liberia’s security to the Liberian government. It’s the first time in 13 years that the government has been solely in charge of keeping the peace. Learn more »

VP Brings Field Experience from Liberia, Vietnam

Jordan Ryan, vice president for peace programs, may be relatively new to Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ, but his connection to President and Mrs. Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà dates back to the ’70s. Learn more »

Blog | Drawing Inspiration in Guatemala

By Chris Hale, associate director, Global Access to Information Program

“Information is power†is a refrain most of us have heard before. The work of Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s Global Access to Information Program rests not only on a firm belief that information is power, but that the right to access information is the basic currency for democratic participation and an active and full exercise of citizenship. Learn more »

In the Spotlight: Director Passionate About Information

Over a decade ago, Laura Neuman attended a gathering in one of India's poorest states to watch colleagues read public documents aloud to villagers. Learn more »

Center Mobilizes for Liberia's Ebola Fight

As the Ebola epidemic escalated in Liberia last fall, the nation's ministries and international public health agencies asked Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà to help mobilize communities to identify cases of the disease and prevent its spread. Learn more »

Blog | Justice in Urban Liberia

Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s community justice advisors (CJAs) are bringing free legal services – and awareness of how the law should work – to urban slums in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia. Learn more »

Blog | Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Celebrates International Right to Know Day with Liberians

By Laura Neuman, manager, Global Access to Information Program

In celebration of International Right to Know Day on Sept. 28, 2013, Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà and local partners in Liberia hosted a series of activities to raise awareness of the value of freedom of information and to encourage the use and full implementation of the country’s 2010 Freedom of Information Act. Learn more »

Blog | Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Trains Youth Leaders in Liberia

On Aug. 19-22, Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s Access to Justice Project, in collaboration with Liberia’s ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs, trained 30 youth leaders in Kakata on conflict resolution skills and knowledge of the rule of law. Learn more »

Meet George Toddy: Liberian High School Student Uses Access to Information to Improve Curricula

When Liberian high school student George Toddy failed the math and science sections of his college entrance exam, he was disappointed but not surprised — he had heard that his region had a very high failure rate compared to other parts of the country. Learn more »

Encouraging a More Open China

In early 2010, remote Baimiao Township in Sichuan Province, China, was dubbed the "naked government" when local officials posted its budget online, reportedly disclosing everything from salaries to the cost of notebooks and paper cups. Learn more »

Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Slideshow: Bringing Justice to Rural Liberians, One Village at a Time

For residents of Bor Town, Grand Bassa County, Liberia, a trip to the nearest magistrate's office to solve a dispute isn't just an expense that many in this subsistence-farming community cannot afford; it is also a major trip — eight hours walking by footpath, one way. Learn more »

Empowering Liberian Women Through Access to Information

Like many Liberian women, Ruth Saye has faced violence, subjugation, and loss as a result of her country's devastating civil war, but she was determined to empower women and help them to heal. Learn more »

Liberia Advances Toward Open Records

Philomena Bloh-Sayeh is surrounded by mounds of documents in boxes stacked on shelves. "These are marriage documents," she says. "You'll see gaps in the years where some of them were lost during the war." Learn more »

Q&A With Pewee Flomoku: Son of Liberia

For Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center officer Pewee Flomoku, bringing justice to the citizens of Liberia is personal. Learn more »

Blog | Public Radio International Highlights Judicial System in Liberia

Public Radio International's “The World†examines Liberia's struggle with land disputes, as citizens return home after the war to find others living on land they claim as their own, in aÌýstory aired Aug. 3. The story also features Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s John Hummel, who explains the country’s need for both a modern legal system and tribal justice system. Learn more »

Blog | Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Honored by Traditional Council of Liberia, Transitions to New Country Representative

The National Traditional Council of Liberia (NTC) recently honored Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center efforts in the country at a farewell ceremony for the Center’s outgoing country representative, John Hummel. Hummel was gowned in traditional clothing as a show of appreciation to him and Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà for “its good will to the Liberian people,†describing him as “a son whom they will always miss.†Learn more »

Blog | Voice of America Features Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center's Access to Justice Project in Liberia

Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ's new initiative to help Liberia’s indigenous leaders manage local disputes was recently featured by Voice of America. The Center’s efforts follow a 15-county consultation on the rule of law with traditional leaders in 2009, and a request from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Traditional Council for help strengthening the capacity of local leaders. Learn more »

Blog | Impact Felt from Recent African Regional Conference on the Right of Access to Information

Impact from Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s African Regional Conference on the Right of Access to Information, held in Ghana in February, is still being felt around the African continent as stakeholders work to advance the right and foster communication about remaining challenges. Learn more »

Ghanaian ATI Conference Participant Coordinating Campaign for Country's Right to Information Law

In Ghana, where the government is currently debating the passage of a right to information bill, Nana Oye Lithur coordinates the campaign to ensure the proposed law will conform to international standards and enhance transparency and accountability. Learn more »

Blog | Community Legal Advisors Help Ensure Rural Citizens Have Access to Justice

Working with monitors from the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC), Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà supports legal advice services in marginalized rural communities through a network of 32 Community Legal Advisors (CLAs) in eight counties. Learn more »

Blog | Access to Information is a Powerful Tool and Fundamental Human Right

The African Regional Conference on the Right of Access to Information began Sunday in Accra, Ghana.ÌýMore than 130 participants arrived from 20 African countries as well as Mexico, Canada, India, Australia, and the United States. Learn more »

Ghana Conference to Address Africa's Right of Access to Information, Develop Action Plan

Listen to Laura Neuman, associate director for the Americas Program at Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà and the access to information project manager, discuss the upcoming conference. Learn more »

Liberian Woman Uses Legal Service to Stop Abuse

For 30 years, Henrietta Gayflor* endured ongoing physical abuse from her partner. After he assaulted her in her front yard one day, Gayflor decided to take action. Learn more »

Next Steps in the Right of Access to Information in the Americas

Although about one half of all the countries in the Americas now have some form of access to information legislation, and almost all of the remaining countries are considering establishing a statutory right to information, there remain a number of critical challenges. In many countries, implementation and enforcement of the law has been weak. In other places there are signs of backsliding where once vibrant laws are now politicized or ineffectual; and in all cases there is a need to broaden and deepen the usage of the right to information. Learn more »

Access to Information Q&A With Laura Neuman, Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Americas Program

In this Q&A, Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ's Laura Neuman, assistant director of the Americas Program and Access to Information Project manager, shares her insights. Learn more »

Conference to Address Advancements, Challenges to Worldwide Access to Public Information Laws

Access to public information matters to the average citizen: it is a human right with the power to make a difference in both individual lives and in the life of a community. Although great advances have been made worldwide over the last decade, countries still face important challenges in the implementation and enforcement of access to information laws. Learn more »

Blog | Q&A with Laura Neuman on Access to Information: A Fundamental Right

Access to information is a fundamental right. Allowing people to seek and receive public documents serves as a critical tool for fighting corruption, enabling citizens to more fully participate in public life, making governments more efficient, encouraging investment, and helping persons exercise their fundamental human rights. For this reason, Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà is actively involved with governments and civil society. Learn more »

Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Assists Liberia's Ministry of Justice in Strengthening Rule of Law

At the invitation of the Government of Liberia, Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ's "Strengthening the Rule of Law and Combating Impunity" project, begun in October 2006, is filling critical gaps in the delivery of justice in rural Liberia. Learn more »

Q&A With Liberia's Minister of Justice Philip A.Z. Banks

"Frankly, I would like to see Liberia at the apex of the continent, on top. I believe very strongly and very sincerely that in spite of what we've been through-the devastation and degradation and all of the other negatives that we can think of-we still have the propensity to rise highly and rigorously." Learn more »

Q&A With Liberia's Solicitor General Tiawan S. Gongloe

Tiawan S. Gongloe, solicitor general of Liberia, knows his country's justice system from both sides of a jail cell. As a student activist in the late 1970's, he was imprisoned and beaten for speaking out against the government of then-president William Tolbert, and later for speaking out against President Charles Taylor. Learn more »

Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Partners with Traditional Leader of Liberian Women

Mama Tumeh, leader of the country-wide Traditional Women for Peace – a Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center partner — is regarded as the spiritual leader of women throughout Liberia. Her work is bringing a message of hope and empowerment to women who are survivors of the country's 14-year civil war. Learn more »

Q&A With Oscar Dolo, Director of the Modia Drama Club

The Modia Drama Club, based in Gbarnga, Liberia, is a Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center partner in the rule of law public education and awareness campaign. Members travel to Liberia's most remote villages by foot, motorcycle, and four-wheel drive, to educate entire communities – often gathered in open-air settings – through skits, music, and interactive dialogue on Liberia's new laws. Learn more »

Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Helps Educate Liberians on Laws, Rights

Although the country's decades of violence are over, Liberia's women continue to face their own private wars: marital rape, domestic abuse, poverty. Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ, at the invitation of Liberia's Ministry of Justice and in partnership with community-based organizations in the West African country, is helping close the violence gap through local education programs and governmental capacity building. Learn more »

Dramatic Learning Acting Troupe Educates Liberians About Legal Rights

The purpose of the drama is to inform community members about the law and their rights. After enduring 14 years of civil war, most Liberians, especially in remote areas, have little knowledge of the formal justice system, new laws, and ways to seek justice. Learn more »

Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà Center Slideshow: Elections Mark Turning Point in Liberia's History

Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà observed Liberia’s historic presidential and legislative elections on Oct. 11, 2005. Only two years earlier, Liberia had emerged from 14 years of civil warfare, which had left over a million people displaced and the country’s infrastructure destroyed. More than 1.3 million people registered to vote, which was estimated to be 90 percent of the eligible population. Learn more »

Stories from Liberia: Field Officer Reflects on Election Prep in a War-Torn Land

Liberians, their country devastated by years of civil war, head to the polls in October 2005 in the most promising opportunity the country will have to establish a fragile, post-conflict democracy. Liberia's destroyed infrastructure, pervasive poverty, 85 percent illiteracy rate, and bitter electoral history are compounding the challenges of providing civic education and making technical arrangements for the election process. Learn more »

Blog | A Key to Democracy: Access to Information

In this Q&A, Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ’s Laura Neuman, senior program associate, Americas Program, shares her insights. Access to information is one of the keys to democracy. Allowing people to seek and receive public documents serves as a critical tool for fighting corruption, enabling citizens to more fully participate in public life, making governments more efficient, encouraging investment, and helping persons exercise their fundamental human rights. Learn more »