Country: International

Mission:

To advance social and environmental justice by building a movement of people who know, use, and shape the law.

Our work in development finance:

Namati champions a method for empowering people to use the law to build a more equitable and democratic society: they train grassroots legal advocates, or community paralegals, in basic law and in skills like mediation, organizing, education, and advocacy. In four countries, their paralegals work hand in hand with communities affected by large scale investments to protect their rights and advocate for progressive policies on land rights and investment. Together, they aim to shift the balance of power in decision-making about investments. Casework on specific violations provides concrete solutions to daily injustices while building grassroots momentum and an evidence base that can be used collectively to push for broader changes to laws and governance systems. Once positive changes are adopted, grassroots advocates continue to work with communities to bring those new de jure commitments to life.

In addition to this community-based environmental justice work, Namati also engages in global campaigns to transform development finance. This includes leading the Justice for All coalition campaign to secure commitments to financing and protection for justice defenders under SDG 16. They have also advocated for procedural reforms at the World Bank and IFC and are currently exploring a global basket fund for independent community support during investments.

Website: https://namati.org/

Geographic Focus: Global

Constituency/Partners: Civil society organizations, Indigenous peoples, Land rights, Rural communities, Women

Sector Focus: Health, Land Rights & Natural Resources, Mining, Natural resources

Financier Targets: IFC, World Bank