This online event is part of a hybrid series and follows an in-person event in Maseru, Lesotho. This interactive discussion will take place over Zoom on Tuesday 23 November from 10–12:30 GMT with a break in the middle. Expect breakout groups and interactive discussion after a short introduction to the project, its history, and takeaways from the event in Lesotho.
We believe the law can be an effective tool for protecting, restoring, and enhancing the livelihoods of indigenous communities when rooted in the community’s real needs, aspirations, and ambitions.
This event series aims to engage with the public in the UK and Lesotho to test and expand the concept of legal empowerment, specifically ‘community’ legal empowerment. This will raise public awareness about the social, environmental, and legal challenges that come with development projects and how we can work together to understand community challenges and co-discover how they can maximally benefit.
During this event, attendees will test, refine, and shape an evidence gathering toolkit we are developing to support practitioners, lawyers, communities, and others to better understand culture, context, and place.
This event is jointly hosted between a team of academics from Cardiff University and the National University of Lesotho (NUL), practitioners from the Seinoli Legal Centre (a public interest legal centre in Lesotho), and practicing lawyers: Ms Alexis Palá, Y Lab; Dr Abid Mehmood, PLACE, Advocate Morena Borenahabokhethe Sekonyela, NUL; Dr Setsabi Setsabi NUL, Director Nkoti Mabula, SLC; Ms Lerato Rabatho, SLC; Mr Mothusi Seqhee, SLC; and Dr Jeremy Ridl, Environmental Lawyer.
This event is open to anyone interested in community centred approaches to legal empowerment. It might be of particular interest to practicing lawyers, those working for a legal/rights focused organisation, students interested in the Rule of Law, development, and/or co-production, and members of the public curious to learn more about how people can participate and shape the future of communities affected by development projects with lasting social and environmental impacts.