Legal Clinics for the Internally Displaced People

Objective

Offering a space in print media for humanitarian organizations, members of the community and all stakeholders of peace, to express their views on peace and/or the current situation in Sri Lanka

Target Group

Internally Displaced individuals with legal issues

Target Cases

•  Lack/loss of legal documentation •  Land and property rights •  Gender based violence •  Loss of essential servitudes •  Abductions, child recruitment, unlawful detentions and other human rights violations

Activities

•  Needs assessments to be carried out in above mentioned districts through the existing local network. This would also identify the gaps in services already being provided by other agencies.

•  Information campaign so that IDPs become aware of the services to be provided.

•  Implementation of advisory services through clinics, in partnership with the Resettlement Authority, to support the IDPs based on the preliminary findings of the needs assessment reports.

•  Bi-annual monitoring and reporting of the core activities to the stakeholders.

Outputs/Outcomes

•  Needs assessment reports for IDPs in 6 districts that are severely affected by the conflict.

•  12 Legal Clinics, targeting around 30-40 participants, per district per annum to provide assistance to IDPs (planning clinics to be held on a specific day at which legal practitioners instruct and give advice on legal issues). Please refer to annexure 1for draft activity plan.

•  The issues raised and attended by the legal practitioners may benefit larger group of IDPs living in those specific areas. i.e. water and sanitary issues.

Funded by: Brookings Bern Project on Internal Displacement, USA

Project duration: 1 year (30 th July 2007 – 29 th July 2008)

Target Group : General public of Sri Lanka and all stakeholders of peace in the country

Funded by: HSRP

Project duration : January 2007 – December 2008