Title of the project is Strengthening fundamental rights and freedoms in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. This is a 27 months project. The project locations are Jaffna and Batticaloa districts and we are working in 5 GN in 4 DS divisions in each districts.

The target group are Media personnel, notably journalists facing threats; young lawyers and judges; government authorities at district, DS and GN levels; vulnerable and marginalized communities.

The main activities are-

1.Conduct awareness sessions on freedom of expression, media rights and the Right to Information at provincial, district and DS level.

2 Conduct workshops for media personnel on ethical reporting at district and DS level.

3 Link journalists facing threats to BASL’s standing committees on the rule of law, public interest litigation, legal aid and human rights for pro bono services.

4. Raise awareness among community leaders and government officials regarding basic rights and access to justice (including vulnerable groups).
5. Strengthen links between communities and local lawyers through the deployment of mobile legal clinics in target areas for pro bono assistance.
6.  Empower communities to obtain civil rights by providing access to legal documentation through trainings, pro-bono mobile clinics and linkages to relevant government authorities.

The project is funded by EU through ACTED. ACTED, BASL, and SOND is working together in this project.