2001 GAJE MEETING
The second world-wide
meeting of the Global Alliance for Justice Education (GAJE) was held in Durban,
South Africa from December 5 - December 14, 2001. The conference theme was RECONCILIATION,
TRANSFORMATION AND JUSTICE.
CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT:
The theme of Reconciliation, Transformation and Justice will set the framework
for discussion, dialogue, debate and sharing of ideas and skills, in an interactive,
experiential environment. The theme will be explored through sessions focusing
on three substantive areas of law that are important around the world, and which
are particularly relevant to the Southern African Sub Continent. In addition,
there will be one all encompassing session which will focus on mainstreaming
justice education.
MAIN CONFERENCE TOPICS
Mainstreaming justice education in the law curriculum: A
major challenge facing law teachers around the globe is to develop strategies
to infuse the spirit of social justice in the law curriculum. Curriculum development,
gender and justice education, integration of reform and activism into legal
education and issues of ethics and values, will be discussed. Activist law teachers
will address pertinent issues of justice education through "case studies" and
detailed analysis of models to develop workable methodologies that would be
generally applicable.
Access to Land: Land has been used as a tool to control, oppress
and assert economic, social and political power throughout the developing world,
including the Southern African region. Thus, the development and implementation
of land reform policy, legislation and practices to ensure reconciliation, transformation
and justice remain a challenge. This challenge will be explored within the field
of legal education during the conference and workshops
Access to Justice for People Living with HIV/AIDS : The worldwide
HIV/AIDS pandemic plagues Africa, Southern Africa and more particularly KwaZulu
Natal (the province within which Durban is situated) in alarming proportions.
Women, children and the weak remain the most vulnerable and marginilised groups
within the developing world. This subject area will likewise also address these
questions, among others: Who needs to be reconciled with whom? Over what issues?
What form should it take? Who should be transformed? What does it entail? What
are the indicators of a just society?
Environmental Justice : Economic and political power drive development
policy at local, national, and international levels very often to the detriment
of less powerful communities and without concern for individual interests. Africa,
Southern Africa and more particularly the areas surrounding Durban provide an
outdoor school where questions rise up to slap you in your face from those relating
to water and dams to those relating to land, housing and economic and social
development. This subject will be explored within the environment and to a large
extent dialogue will take place on site.
Each of these topics will be explored through the workshops and conference against
the overarching theme of reconciliation, transformation and justice. These topics
will also serve to address global justice concerns in the areas of race, ethnicity,
diversity, gender and children rights.
The conference will also be the occasion for the ratification of a constitution
or charter for GAJE and for organizational planning and development. Consistent
with GAJE’s commitment to inclusiveness, registration fees are low and inexpensive
food and accommodation will be available.
Post-Conference Train-the-Trainers Workshop: During the first two days, three concurrent
sessions will focus on Street Law, Trial Advocacy and Legal Ethics.
The third day will be devoted to a workshop on social transformation
with a particular emphasis on the management of people, programs and processes.
Complete Conference Report
Original Conference Registration Information
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