Minister for development visits Mali
On March 17 2014, the people of Congola, a rural Malian village of 1000 inhabitants, welcomed a unusually large contingent of guests to their community; the 40-person delegation included two ministers, Mogens Jensen, Danish Minister for Trade and Development, and Mohamed Ali Bathily, Malian Minister of Justice, and journalists from both countries who descended upon this small village situated 60 kilometers west of the capital Bamako. The delegation was welcomed by their hosts with a guard of honor as well as the playing of traditional kora music and a ceremonial shooting display from the village hunters.
The ministers were there to learn about the work of the paralegals, part of a Danish Institute for Human Rightsproject with local legal aid ogranisation, DEME SO.
Paralegals solve conflicts
Omar and Menata were selected by the village in 2008 to become paralegals. Their main role is to inform the community members of their rights and provide advice and referrals on conflicts arising in the village, as well as contribute to promoting public participation among village members. Typical conflicts in the village include marital conflicts, conflicts between families, land disputes, and civil status matters.
The ministers were given presentations of the work of the paralegals. Among the community members’ testimonies was that of Aminata, who thanks to the help of the paralegal, said she was able to obtain a birth certificate for her child, allowing him to now attend school.
More than87 percent of the children in the village of Congola now attend school - largely due to the work of paralegals. A greater awareness of women’s rights is another achievement of the paralegals - a representative from the local women’s association explained how women now have organised savings groups and engage in small enterprise and trade activities. Moreover, women in Congola now feel confident enough to speak in public meetings; the village even has a female candidate who will run for upcoming communal elections. The ministers also learned that land conflicts were a common occurrence in the community; legal advice and referrals provided by paralegals provided needed solutions to addressing these problems
Monique Alexis,the institute'sregional coordinator for West Africa, highlighted the importance of the visit:
“A day like this where two ministers acknowledge the results of the work of paralegals in a village is extremely encouraging and motivating for them to continue informing people about their rights. It is very helpful for our partners and our work down here.”
Bringing access to justice
The Danish Institute for Human Rightshas worked with DEME SO (which means ‘House of Aid’ in the local Bambara language) and a network of their partner NGOs since 2007, to build the capacity of over 100 active paralegals throughout Mali.
Aparalegal practice manual has been produced, as well as various documentation and reporting tools for paralegals,and a report on the work of paralegals in Mali in 2013.
Lise Dahl, manager for the project explained:
“With the respective tools we have developed with our partner, paralegals are better equipped to meet the needs of their communities in terms of providing legal information and advice and mediating conflicts, while bridging an important gap in access to justice in Mali.”
The project is funded by Danida and complements the institute’s extensive work in the area of legal services and access to justice in Africa, and forms part oftheinstitute'sWest Africa programme.