San communities empowered by paralegal training

A five-day field-based paralegal training programme took place last week to empower San communities in Namibia through legal capacity building and promoting community safety.The training, carried out by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) with support from the European Union (EU), took place from 19 to 23 November in Gobabis and Vergenoeg in the Omaheke Region.According to a joint press release by the LAC and EU, the training formed part of a series of interventions coordinated by the LAC to strengthen access to justice for marginalised communities in Namibia.The training, as part of LAC’s San Empowerment Project, sought to enhance access to justice and legal support in areas with limited legal resources. The focus was on building the capacity of trainee paralegals – community-based practitioners – who will play a crucial role in promoting community safety and ensuring legal empowerment in their respective San communities. The series of training interventions will support paralegals in their work to protect and promote the legal rights of their communities.Community-based programmeThe central theme of this particular training was community safety, with a special emphasis on the Vergenoeg San community’s experiences with community policing. The Vergenoeg community has been successful in developing and implementing community-led initiatives aimed at crime prevention and conflict resolution, providing valuable lessons for other San communities in Namibia.Key training objectives included enhancing paralegals’ understanding of the relationship between community safety and access to justice, healthcare, education, and other essential services.Another objective was to learn from the Vergenoeg community’s experience in community policing and explore how these strategies can be adapted and implemented in other San communities.Partnerships Further, it aimed to foster partnerships between paralegals, community leaders, law enforcement and local authorities to support sustainable community safety and legal empowerment.A key component of the training was a field visit to the Vergenoeg San community, located approximately 150 km from Gobabis.Here, the trainee paralegals had the opportunity to engage with community leaders and learn first-hand about the community’s successful community policing initiatives.This visit provided valuable insights into how community-driven efforts can improve safety, reduce crime and ensure greater access to justice for marginalised groups.

San communities empowered by paralegal training

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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San communities empowered by paralegal training

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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