Application Deadline:
11 August 2025
Localisation:
Nairobi, Kenya
Contact: oriental.lab@innovationdemocratie.org.za applications@innovationdemocratie.org
Apply Now: 20 Spots Open for East Africa’s ‘Democracy & Legal Activism’ Program by the Oriental Lab
Together, let’s invent a substantive democracy, and impact in East Africa!
Application for 20 candidates (10 women & 10 men) in East Africa for the “Democracy and legal activism” Program of the Oriental laboratory of the Innovation Foundation for democracy
About Us
We are the Oriental Laboratory of the Innovation for Democracy Foundation. We cover the following countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda) and are located at the headquarters of our host and partner organization, the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ-Kenya) in Nairobi, Kenya.The Innovation Foundation for Democracy is a dynamic Pan-African organisation at the forefront of research, teaching, and knowledge production on substantive democracy.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for 20 candidates (10 women & 10 men) in East Africa(Kenya, Tanzania, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda) to participate in our training program called “Democracy and legal activism”.
I- PROGRAM PRESENTATION
Legal activism corresponds to the legal action of citizens put at the service of mobilization for social change and the progress of the whole society. It is a form of political action that mobilizes the law (its philosophy, its theory, its doctrine, its method, its approaches and its techniques) in support of an activist strategy. The law therefore emerges as a crucial issue in the social and political struggle. The law also becomes itself an object of struggle and conquest, a powerful means in the service of political action. Therefore, the one who masters it, the one who knows how to use it, the one who knows how to mobilize it, has a certain advantage in controlling the political space.
Legal activism corresponds to the legal action of citizens put at the service of mobilization for social change and the progress of the whole society. It is a form of political action that mobilizes the law (its philosophy, its theory, its doctrine, its method, its approaches and its techniques) in support of an activist strategy. The law therefore emerges as a crucial issue in the social and political struggle. The law also becomes itself an object of struggle and conquest, a powerful means in the service of political action. Therefore, the one who masters it, the one who knows how to use it, the one who knows how to mobilize it, has a certain advantage in controlling the political space.
This is the whole point of this program which aims to enable African citizens to mobilize the law to defend their rights and interests, promote equality of citizens facing the law, rights and power, legal and judicial security, in order to improve governance and strengthen democracy on the continent.
II- ORIGINALITY OF THE PROGRAM
The Legal Activism program aims to strengthen the civic and political capacities of young people in East Africa. In other words, it will be a question of showing these citizens:
The Legal Activism program aims to strengthen the civic and political capacities of young people in East Africa. In other words, it will be a question of showing these citizens:
– how they can use the law to defend their rights and freedoms;
– how they can improve accessibility of law and access to justice;
– how they can mobilise to bring about reforms and changes in society.
– how they can improve accessibility of law and access to justice;
– how they can mobilise to bring about reforms and changes in society.
The originality of this program which is done online and physical lies in its ambition to train young people in East Africa to harness laws to defend democracy, protect human rights, and advance individual freedoms.
This program is therefore intended to prepare the youth—young women and men who are engaged in civic, public, and political debate in their countries and who aspire to play a greater role in their countries’ political life.
If you are a young person from East Africa interested in extending the rule of law and strengthening democracy in your country in Africa in general, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.
III- CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY
The launch of the 2025 cohort of the “Democracy and Legal Activism” Program will take place on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
The launch of the 2025 cohort of the “Democracy and Legal Activism” Program will take place on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
The working language is English.
The 2025 cohort will consist of twenty (20) participants, including 10 women and 10 men, from the countries covered by the Oriental Laboratory (Kenya, Tanzania, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda).
The application requirements are as follows:
✓ Be between 23 and 35 years old;
✓ Be a national of one of the aforementioned countries and reside in Africa;
✓ Hold at least a Bachelor’s degree or any other equivalent diploma;
✓ Be a member of a political party or a civil society organisation.
“Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.”
The composition of the application file:
Submit your application through this Google Form: https://shorturl.at/U0LHQ
The application file must include:
✓ A cover letter;
✓ A letter of recommendation from a representative of the organization to which the candidate belongs or is affiliated (association, union, or political party);
✓ A detailed CV (including a copy of passport, proof of residence, and a copy of the Bachelor’s degree) outlining their academic, professional, and political background;
✓ A presentation by the candidate, at least three (03) pages and at most five (05) pages, of his idea of the role of rule of law in protecting individual freedoms and strengthening democracy.
Timeline
• Application Deadline: August 11, 2025 12:00AM (EAT)
• Results publication: August 16, 2025
• Launch: August 28, 2025.
• Duration: 6 months.