Paris, France – In a significant milestone for legal empowerment in Africa, BarefootLaw, a pioneering legal innovation organisation, showcased its transformative work at ChangeNow 2023, a global gathering focused on positive change. The event held annually in Paris provided an excellent platform for BarefootLaw to demonstrate its innovative legal solutions and create collaborations towards facilitating peace and justice.
ChangeNow 2023, known as one of the world’s largest gatherings for positive change, attracted thousands of change-makers, innovators, and organisations from diverse sectors. The event served as a premier platform for showcasing innovative solutions to global challenges. BarefootLaw, representing The City of The Hague, stood out among the exhibitors for its unique approach to legal empowerment and access to justice across Africa.
Transforming Access to Justice in Africa.
Founded in 2012, BarefootLaw has played a crucial role in transforming access to justice in Africa. By harnessing technology and innovation, it provides free legal information and assistance to vulnerable communities, bridging the justice gap that often hinders individuals from exercising their rights. The organisation’s dedicated team of passionate lawyers and legal experts offers services through various channels, including online platforms, social media, and traditional justice mechanisms which empower communities to address their justice needs effectively.
A Resounding Success at ChangeNow 2023.
As an exhibitor, BarefootLaw’s innovative legal solutions garnered significant attention from activists, investors, policymakers, and fellow change-makers. Visitors flocked to BarefootLaw’s booth, eager to interact with the team and witness firsthand the impact of their digital approaches and traditional justice resolution mechanisms on empowering communities with legal information and support. The booth received over 400 visitors during the three-day conference, including notable guests such as The Mayoral delegates led by The Deputy Mayor of The City of The Hague, Saskia Bruines, and the co-founder of ChangeNow, Kevin Tayebaly.
Figure 1 Mayoral delegates led by The Deputy Mayor of The Hague, Saskia Bruines Figure 2 Co-founder ChangeNow Kevin Tayebaly visited the booth
Creating collaborations and inspiring partnerships.
Beyond the exhibition activities, BarefootLaw actively participated in an inclusion panel session moderated by Elizabeth Corse of The Impact Hustlers. Robert Okello, The Europe Lead at BarefootLaw, shared BarefootLaw’s journey of utilizing digital technology to facilitate access to justice. He emphasized the importance of leveraging technological tools to make the justice system easily accessible and expedite court processes for timely justice
outcomes. Rhoda Namboze, The Director of Development, also pitched BarefootLaw’s solutions to a group of funders and impact investors, highlighting the urgent need to support the scaling of these digital solutions across Africa, where access to justice is limited.
Figure 3 Robert at the Panel of inclusion Figure 4 Rhoda pitching BarefootLaw Innovations to impact investors
ChangeNow 2023 proved to be a catalyst for collaborations and inspiring partnerships for BarefootLaw. The organisation’s success stories caught the attention of influential stakeholders, including NGOs, philanthropists, and corporate entities interested in collaboration and supporting their work. The event also provided BarefootLaw with valuable exposure to international audiences, enabling them to expand their network beyond Africa and The Hague borders. This exposure not only enhances their reputation but also strengthens their ability to scale their impact and replicate successful models in other countries facing similar justice challenges.
Driving Positive Change and Shaping the Future
ChangeNow 2023 not only showcased BarefootLaw’s work but also inspired change in the legal sector. Their presentation of innovative legal strategies highlighted the potential of digital technology and community engagement in addressing systemic barriers to access justice, particularly for communities in poorly connected regions.
The BarefootLaw exhibitor experience at ChangeNow 2023 was a resounding success, setting the stage for their transformative work in legal empowerment on a global platform. Combining technology, legal expertise, and community engagement, BarefootLaw continues to redefine access to justice in Africa and beyond.
Energized and bolder than ever, BarefootLaw remains committed to tackling global inequality and access to justice issues. They aim to encourage other organisations and individuals to explore innovative approaches for promoting legal empowerment and finding suitable solutions for communities facing access to justice challenges.
BarefootLaw extends its sincere gratitude to the Hague Humanity Hub, Impact City, and The City of The Hague for their invaluable support in making ChangeNow 2023 a successful and impactful event.
By Robert Okello
Rubangapwany Joel
