A new justice advocacy group, SAWABENU, has been launched to provide legal aid to rural women.
Monrovia, Liberia, October 18, 2024 – SAWABENU, a local advocacy non-governmental organization that seeks to promote access to justice and the rule of law across Liberia, has been launched in Monrovia.
The official launch, held on Thursday, 18 October 2024, in Congo Town, on the outskirts of Monrovia, was graced by local and international partners, including Carter Center, SIDA, CENTAL, and many others.
SAWABENU, meaning “the law exists” in Liberian vernacular, is an offspring of Carter Center Liberia, which has supported legal education and services across the country over the years.
Performing the official launch, the President of the Liberia National Bar Association, Cllr. Sylvester D. Rennie said the Bar is committed to ensuring justice is delivered to the unjust.
Cllr. Rennie laments the huge presence of pretrial detainees at prisons across the country, which derives from plaintiffs’ failure to pursue their cases in court for trial.
“We are hopeful as a bar that a new group has come out to assist in accessing justice. In the absence of justice, people resort to violence”, he says.
“Without boring you, I want to officially launch SAWABENU as an organization… I want to declare this organization officially launched”, Cllr. Rennie continues.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Director of SAWABENU, Sarnyenneh M. Dickson, revealed that the organization was established in 2023 with a current skeleton staff of five, including a Program Officer, Compliance Officer, Administrative and Finance Officer, and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, respectively.
Mr. Dickson explains that the organization aims to enhance access to justice, particularly by educating rural women on accessing justice and building the capacity of Civil Society Organizations.
He discloses that SAWABENU is currently present in four counties: Margibi, Bong, Nimba, and Grand Bassa, thanks to a US$300,000 seed fund provided by the Swedish Government through the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
Providing an overview, the Program Officer of Carter Center Liberia, Johnny Ndebe, says Carter Center is in eight counties, working with chiefs, elders, and other local authorities to promote the justice system in Liberia.
“Carter Center’s decision is to build local institutions for sustainability. The group is new as an organization but not new to Liberia’s justice system or the rule of law. It is a new kid on the block”, he adds.
In remarks, Press Union of Liberia’s newly inducted President Julius Kanubah says that for Liberia to make progress, adherence to the rule of law is critical, stressing, “Without the rule of law, democracy will fail in Liberia.
Various organizations and partners present promise to support and collaborate with the new organization in enhancing access to justice and the rule of law in the country. Story by Jonathan Browne
