Citizenship is a foundational human right, yet millions of people around the world are unjustly denied identity documents to prove their nationality. These denials, often based on poor implementation of the law or outright discrimination against minority groups, make it impossible for individuals and families to enroll in school, apply for a job, or exercise their rights. They are excluded from society and denied opportunities as a result. 

Legal empowerment strategies are challenging these injustices. Paralegals support affected communities to learn how to apply for identity documents, navigate through tangled bureaucracies, and challenge discriminatory systems. They help communities understand, use, and shape the law.

This learning exchange is tailored for legal empowerment practitioners who focus on citizenship and legal identity, and will be hosted by Namati and three dynamic Kenyan organizations: Nubian Rights Forum, Haki na Sheria, and Haki Centre. 

It's been three years since we hosted our first learning exchange in South Africa. Nondo Nobel Bwami, who works at Asylum Access in Tanzania, attended that exchange and wrote this: "the learning exchange program is such a powerful program that one [should] never miss...I was able to identify a unique perspective of legal empowerment approaches to bring back to my office and add value to my work." 

That is exactly the kind of impact we were hoping for, and in the seven learning exchanges we've coordinated to date, we've seen over 100 participants bring valuable lessons back home with them. 

As the global movement for legal empowerment continues to grow, these exchanges are a powerful magnet for creativity, solidarity, and problem-solving. We hope you'll apply to join us in October. We're looking forward to learning with you.