New Year, same Supercharged team!
We are already excited about what this new year holds for us as justice actors. 2019 was nothing short of exhilarating. It started in high gear and only went uphill from there throughout the year.
From participating in the Access to Justice Forum in the Hague; Commencement of testing of our very own operating system (BIOS); Launching of the HiiL SDG 16 Innovation Working Group report, the creation of which we participated in; Speaking at the ICT4D Conference on digital technologies as a tool for inclusion in development; Release of the Dagstuhl declaration which suggests guiding principles of AI for social good; Impacting the lives of over 1500 women in Northern Uganda through LEWUTi; Empowering over 220 children with legal information, in partnership with WTA; Engaging with Machine learning experts to create and launch our AI Lawyer, Winnie; Partnerships with powerhouses such as Strathmore, Local Governments and Enabel; Launching the Cyber Laws of Uganda report; and the continued innovative use of digital technology to provide legal information. 2019 definitely set the bar high for 2020.
This year, our focus is on deliberate efforts to achieve our BHAG. Through our strategy, we are confident of making access to justice readily available to 2 million people across Uganda by 2021. At nearly 700,000 people, we are well on our way to that 2 million milestone. This just means we need to triple efforts to achieve our goal. With the right partnerships, we believe it may be a lot less complicated than it appears.
Following the objectives from our 3-Year Strategic Plan (2018-2021), our team of professionals will;
- Customize legal content to meet the needs of our beneficiaries. Breaking down voluminous and complex legal information to bite-size, easy-to-comprehend information for all– whilst assuring quality.
- Continue to innovate around mobile technology to reduce costs and increase public access to key legal information through daily social media updates (text, audio & visual), website articles and blogs, digital community sensitization events and mobile telephone blasts (SMS & Audio).
Our work is hinged on making SDG 16 a reality for the underserved communities that have long suffered the devastating effects arising from lack of access to justice. We are steadfast in our belief that without access to legal information, there can be no meaningful access to justice. Therefore, all our efforts in 2020 shall be aimed at catalysing the empowerment of people with legal knowledge and information as a tool for access to justice.
Happy New Year!
Acronyms:
A2J- Access To Justice
BIOS – BarefootLaw Integrated Operating System
SDG- Sustainable Development Goals
ICT4D- Information Communication Technology for Development
LEWUTi– Legal Empowerment of Women Using Technology and Innovation
BHAG- Big Hairy Audacious Goal