Legal literacy programmes aim to empower vulnerable populations and key groups with a better knowledge of national and local laws and their rights, and to find ways to redress human rights violations, including discrimination in the health sector. Legal literacy programs can focus on legal and legal knowledge and strategies on how this knowledge can be used to improve health and equity. Founded in 1992 by Peter Martin and Tom Bruce, the Legal Information Institute (LII), a nonprofit public service of Cornell Law School that provides free access to current U.S. and international legal research sources online law.cornell.edu, is a pioneer in providing legal information online. [53] [54] [55] LII was the first legal website developed on the Internet. [53] The public service at Cornell Law School promotes the Legal Information Institute, which in turn promotes open access to the legal movement and works according to the principles adopted in the Montreal Declaration (amended in 2002 and later). which promotes the publication of public legal information via the Internet. [56] The reality of the caste system and all its manifestations in all spheres of life, which deny dignity and full humanity to the oppressed, cannot be denied. The cruel extermination of those buried under the pain of caste apartheid is also significant. How many times have we read research reports, studies, articles and reviews that contain a narrative of pathetic victimization; The subject of this is often the victim – survivor of violence? Dalit women have long tried to break this condescending projection of our wounded bodies and families and have therefore systematically organized us to be part of a process in which we build our own path and impose our own narratives. We bring with us a long history of oppression and a resilient struggle for human dignity and life. It is this history that makes us who we are and, therefore, all our thoughts and actions are oriented towards self-determination and freedom for all. Every day we fight against various forms of discrimination and atrocities and continue to push for some semblance of justice.
Often, the criminal justice system and institutional mechanisms offered by the state are like a façade designed to obscure or render meaningless the rights to which we are entitled. We are fully aware of the deeply rooted caste institutional bias that exists all around us. We have seen and experienced it in the process of building our movement and, of course, in the life we live. Being aware of this is crucial for us as Dalit women to give an authentic perspective to our analysis. Constantly examine ourselves as we navigate the different communities we come from, taking into account the different intersectional frameworks of disability, sexuality, class and urban-rural realities, and our differences, even as we come together as a unified voice against oppressive structures that seek to dehumanize us. Caste atrocities in various forms and, in particular, sexual violence are the most difficult to combat. On the one hand, dealing with stigma, trauma and health problems with limited resources, and on the other hand, fighting legal systems for justice is a shattered experience. Despite all these barriers, we move forward, hoping to leave behind a world that offers happiness, justice and security to our daughters. This hope is not an illusion. The urgency to improve our narratives as well as our demand for human rights is here and now. Addressing structural forms of violence perpetrated for centuries is a long process, but at the heart of our organization is the belief that transformative change must be brought about in our lifetime.
We present this report with great pride in enabling Dalit women leaders to speak out against all odds to fight oppression and support vulnerable communities. Even if we organize ourselves. The journey for each of us has not been easy and we often feel exhausted by the relentless violence we Dalit women face as a community. Learning and unlearning every day to play an empowering role for each other is key to our existence. The writing of this report was one of those processes that brought new perspectives and opened spaces for collective thinking and articulation. We see it as an important part of shaping our own history. Often faced with humiliating and debilitating experiences for many of us activists and survivors; We can only look inside and ask each other for help. This report reflects this internal struggle that seeks to track down the underlying factors of our extreme vulnerability as Dalit women, as well as the exploration of strategies used to create resistance. Jai Bhim On the lesser importance of legal literacy in legal education in the United States, Leonard J. Long, professor of law at Quinnipiac University School of Law, said, “Law students, law firms, consumers of legal services, and society as a whole would benefit from a legal profession made up of people familiar with American law, its history, and its jurisprudence.
However, legal competence is not encouraged primarily because it is not considered necessary for the practice of law. This is part of the anti-intellectual tradition of American law in general and American legal education in particular. [34] [35] In Kenya, the Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Program began as a group of sex workers and hostesses working together against HIV, violence and exploitation. The civil society organization has grown and offers a range of services, including legal literacy and legal support services to protect and empower sex workers. Unlike the training of law students pursuing a law degree (often referred to simply as “legal education”) and the professional development of lawyers and judges (sometimes referred to as “continuing legal education”), public legal education is primarily for individuals who are not lawyers, judges or law students. Without (legal) literacy, people can be intimidated and alienated from the law. This can turn into a situation where people break the law or not be able to get help. [17] The courts have recognized the obstacle created by lack of literacy to the effective implementation of guaranteed rights. [18] Low literacy can block people`s access to justice. [19] At times, literacy requirements have been used to block access to rights and benefits. [20] [21] At the primary level, introduction to basic legal education is usually provided at a minimal level through civic education, but this is not necessarily appropriate for the rest of life.
[44] Applied legal education is provided by the business school and some other branches. The news media also play a role, but are not able to meet all socio-legal literacy needs. [ref. needed] NGOs and legal aid centres may provide limited legal expertise in certain priority areas. [25] According to Hasl-Kelchner, corporate legal literacy deals with the legal risk profiles of businesses, both at the employee and organizational levels.