Empower through Legal Knowledge
Societies and their citizens require knowledge of the system we live in. The way to empower people to create change is to give them proper tools and opportunities to do so. Therefore, we propose including legal training and access to legal resources as a mandatory part of our society.
Solution: Mandatory legal training for policy makers
Some laws are passed without respect for Human Rights and general legal rules: their place in the legal system, existing legislation, and boundaries that the system sets. The lack of awareness of human rights and no actual knowledge of law among the policymakers is a big issue. Not only does it provoke legislative initiatives that are not beneficial, but it also impedes policymakers from acting and being efficient in the implementation of their ideas. When you start a new job, you are obliged to go through mandatory training, whether you work in an office or as a waiter; however, when new policymakers are elected – mostly on the basis of their ideas – in many places they are not required to undergo training for their law-making tasks, which affect so many people.
If any other job requires training, policymakers should be trained too – to acquire the tools to implement their ideas and to make conscious policies. Therefore, we set forward a demand for a mandatory legal and Human Rights training for policymakers. After election, policy-makers should be trained on:
● legal systems;
● Human Rights;
● the decision-making process;
● representation duties;
● and diplomacy.
Legal training would be also important in making policy-making accessible for people of different backgrounds, not only those who had educational opportunities or a lot of experience. The marginalised groups – youth, the working class, the less privileged – who have less resources and possibilities would be given the tools to make themselves heard and not be disregarded, in the election process, on the basis of their lack of knowledge and experience.
Solution: Accessibility of legal resources
Engagement of people in society is low; civic action is often taken only by the more privileged (well- off, educated, not a part of a minority). People do not feel that they can influence political decisions and thus do not engage, People are not aware enough about the way in which the legal system works – what are their rights and responsibilities, but also what are the responsibilities of the policymakers towards them, and in what way can they influence them? They do not advocate for themselves.
Creating an accessible legal resource that everyone is free to use will empower people to advocate for themselves, having access to the context in which the policymakers work and gain the tools to discuss and decide. This would give individuals an incentive to engage, as they would feel more effective by seeing results, making it harder for them to feel small. This could be through legal training, consultations, publications, or starting an online platform that is easy to use and provides easily understandable explanations of law (that not only lawyers are able to understand).