Who we are
Microjustice is a Dutch Foundation that works for the Legal Empowerment and Inclusion of marginalized people and victims of humanitarian disaster.
The organization began its work in the post-war legal rehabilitation of refugees in the Former Yugoslavia and helped them reclaim their pre-war rights. Microjustice focused on solving the legal problems of the refugees in all aspects of their life, by arranging their identity-related documents across borders (81,088 documents in Serbia and Croatia), restoring property, solving banking issues, and ensuring pensions -to name a few-.
The concept of Microjustice was tested and developed in Bolivia as of 2007. It takes the model of Microfinance as a basis to produce a sustainable model of legal services for the poor. The experience in Bolivia was used to establish Microjustice Country Organizations in Peru (2008), Argentina (2010) Kenya (2011), Rwanda (2012), while operations in the former Yugoslavia started to use the sustainable business model of Microjustice for cross-border legal aid to (ex)refugees.
Track-Record Microjustice
1996:
Microjustice is set up as a Dutch Foundation that specializes in the Legal Rights Protection of marginalized people and victims of disaster.
1996-2006:
Microjustice works in the post-war legal rehabilitation of the refugees in the Former Yugoslavia and helps them reclaim their pre-war rights. Microjustice focuses on solving the legal problems of the refugees in all aspects of their life, by arranging their identity-related documents across borders (81,088 documents in Serbia and Croatia), restoring property, solving banking issues, and ensuring pensions -to name a few of the numerous problems.
Taking inspiration from its large-scale legal rehabilitation programs in the former Yugoslavia, Microjustice undertakes assessment missions for post-conflict legal rehabilitation in Georgia, Iraq, Sudan and Colombia. These assessments show that settling the legal issues of displaced populations (largely related to legal paperwork) is crucial for successful post-disaster rehabilitation anywhere and is also essential for sustainable development (legal empowerment of the poor). As a result, the concept of Microjustice is born in 2006 to provide standardized legal services in basic legal needs of vulnerable people in sustainable manner.
2007-2017
The concept of Microjustice is tested and developed in Bolivia as of 2007. It takes the model of Microfinance as a basis to produce a financial sustainable model of legal services for the poor and marginalized. The experience in Bolivia is used to establish Microjustice Country Organizations in Peru (2008), Argentina (2010), Uganda (2010), Kenya (2011), Rwanda (2012), while operations in the former Yugoslavia use the model for continued cross-border legal aid to (ex)refugees.
2018-now:
The experiences with legal service provision in these countries were fundamental in the development of the Legal Rights Protection Program with its Digital Legal Aid Platform and the Legal Rights Protection Barometer.
Years of successes
SDG 16: LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND
Both the Legal Rights Protection Barometer and the Digital Legal Aid Platform contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16 as set by the United Nations: ‘promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. by providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institution at all levels.’
Alignment al our ambition with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Campaign started to promote Universal Access to Legal Aid and Legal Rights Protection for all, with the roll out of the Legal Rights Protection Barometer and the Digital Legal Aid Platform globally
Legal Rights Protection Barometer and Digital Legal Aid Platform method developed and tested in Serbia, Kenya and Bolivia
Global Legal Rights Protection Program is launched Publication of the Microjustice Methodology Handbook & Microjustice Handbook for Humanitarian Crisis
+ Humanitarian Innovation Fund awards Microjustice
+ Cordaid Scale-up Award
Establishment of Microjustice Rwanda
Establishment of Microjustice Kenya
Establishment of Microjustice Argentina and Uganda
Publication of first Microjustice Handbook
Initial Experiences & Best Practices with Microjustice concept in Bolivia, Peru and Croatia/Serbia
Establishment of Microjustice Peru
Establishment of Microjustice Peru
Microjustice concept for standardisation of legal services started in Bolivia. Microjusticia Bolivia is set up.
Smaller scale legal rehabilitation services in the former Yugoslavia
After 10 years large-scale legal service provision to the refugees, smaller scale continuation of legal rehabilitation services in the former Yugoslavia, arranging around 1000 documents across borders for (ex)refugees annually.
Roundtable meeting in Madrid
As a result, the concept of Microjustice is born, and its development started
Large-scale legal services programs for displaced populations in post-war situations
Large-scale legal rehabilitation program for the refugees in the former Yugoslavia and assessment missions, advising on how to set up legal rehabilitation programs for the displaced populations in Sudan, Colombia, Iraq and Georgia/South Ossetia