Vivek Maru, Namati

Vivek believes we can advance social and environmental justice by deepening democracy.

Vivek started Namati in 2011. Since then, Namati and its partners have supported cadres of grassroots legal advocates—sometimes known as barefoot lawyers or community paralegals—in ten countries. These advocates work with their communities to protect common lands, enforce environmental law, and secure basic rights to healthcare and citizenship.

In all ten countries, their grassroots work has led to improvements to entire systems: a new anti-bribery policy for the health sector in Mozambique, for example, improved sand-mining regulations in India, and greater protection for women’s rights in Sierra Leonean land law.

Globally, Namati convenes the Legal Empowerment Network, more than 2,000 groups from over 160 countries who are learning from one another and collaborating on common challenges. This community successfully advocated for the inclusion of access to justice in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Vivek is co-author of Community Paralegals and the Pursuit of Justice (Cambridge University Press). His TED talk, “How to Put the Power of Law in People’s Hands,” has been viewed over a million times.