John Lopeyok

Building a Non-violent Social Justice Movement: Through Innovation in Community Justice Systems: the Turkana Village Courts Experience in Northwest Kenya John Lopeyok

Building Non-Violent Social Justice Movement through innovation in Community Justice is both a process and a product of attaining political consciousness among marginalized groups. It is based on social justice framework of law, human rights and customary practices to fill in wide gap of justice infrastructures in Turkana County, Northwest of Kenya. Over five years working as director of Justice and Peace Commission, this project is due to the realization that it is possible to create social change through innovation in facilitating civic engagement processes that enhance harmony between traditional institutions and formal institutions that are consistent with modern transitional governments. Non-violent social justice movement captures unique experiences of a determined, passionate Turkana scholar to solve multiple problems of virulent poverty, gross human rights violations, weak government structures, and cross border conflicts that his community struggles with amidst outright marginalization, neglect, and discrimination from their own government. The strategy is to create social justice movement through linking traditional courts and formal justice structures.