New book explores grassroots justice strategies in informal settlements around the world

IDRC and the Grassroots Justice Network are pleased to announce a new freely available book, Legal Empowerment in Informal Settlements: Grassroots Experiences from the Global South. This unique collection of case studies shows how grassroots, community-led justice strategies — known as legal empowerment — are being used to advance human rights in urban settings across the Global South.

Many residents in the world’s informal settlements face daily injustices: forced evictions, arbitrary arrests and systemic neglect of basic services like water, housing and education. Yet, in the face of these challenges, communities are not standing still — they are organizing, mobilizing and standing up for their rights. In an uncertain world, knowledge about their strategies is more valuable than ever.

Edited by Adrian Di Giovanni, team leader of IDRC’s Democratic and Inclusive Governance program, and Luciana Bercovich, senior manager of the Grassroots Justice Network, Namati, this new volume captures stories of resistance and resilience. It offers a rare view into how organizations and residents are using community-led justice strategies to defend rights and secure more dignified living conditions, which are foundations for healthy, sustainable democracies and a stable world.

Five of the case studies as well as the introductory chapter draw on IDRC-supported research.  Harnessing the power of our global network of research partners, this initiative investigated strategies to promote the legal empowerment of the urban poor, such as community paralegals, strategic litigation, participatory research and community mobilization. The case studies focused on informal settlements in and around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Karachi, Pakistan.

What makes this collection unique is not just its geographic breadth, but its grounding in the lived experiences of those on the front lines. The chapters were written by members of the organizations — lawyers, activists, researchers and community members — who have supported informal settlement communities for years, sometimes decades. It is also the first book to highlight how legal empowerment strategies — which empower people to know, use and shape the law — are being used to build change from the ground up in informal settlements.

Thanks to IDRC support, the book is available for free on the publisher's website.