Rule of Law and Development in Burkina Faso
This project aims to support the population through various concrete measures in the field of justice and to create precedents and best practices for the whole of Burkina Faso. The goal is for the population to gain (justified) confidence in the Burkinabe justice and the traditional system for peace and well-being.
Legal issues must be pursued to set precedents so that public confidence in the rule of law can increase and those still adhering to oppressive traditional norms and patriarchal structures can realize that they must also obey the country's laws and respect universal human rights. Precedents provide the population with stronger protection for their rights against similar situations that may arise in the future and reinforce the positive aspects of traditional society.
The following components will be included in the project implementation:
Conducting legal cases
Legal advice for the organization and its work on legal security
Conducting public legal information meetings on selected topics
Providing legal advice to the population - legal clinic
Scholarship for legal studies
Coordination and social activities focused on human rights and family law
Construction and equipment of premises for the activities
Conducting Legal Cases
One of the most common legal cases affecting the population, especially in rural areas, is determining land ownership rights. In Burkina Faso, the state owns all land but can transfer ownership to private actors or individuals through application. Traditionally, in each village, there is a "chef de terre" who could allocate land to anyone intending to cultivate it.
Yennenga Progress/BF has engaged one of the most renowned law firms in Burkina Faso specializing in land issues and disputes. The lawyer, who has over 30 years of experience in the Burkinabe judiciary, sees this case as a precedent that can be used for future cases in the field. Lawyer Ouattara has also hired a sociologist to study the case on a deeper level. A legal dispute of this kind is not just a legal issue but has other dimensions that are not directly legal, according to modern jurisprudence.
The case has been giving us a great insight on the path to take in a question that all countries pass through, some time in history. Land owning is a question that hits very hard on families on the countryside.
Scholarships
Through the project, we have been able to provide a scholarship to a student from Nakamtenga to pursue a law degree at a private university in Ouagadougou. The course is three years in its first phase. The reason for choosing a private university is that the state university system is not functioning. Studies that take three years at a private university can take 6 years or more at state universities, with significantly lower educational quality. (see attached motivation letter from the student)
Coordination and social activities focused on human rights and family law
For social contacts and activities, YP/BF has formed a team of individuals mainly active in school activities. Based on their contacts with students, parents, and others in the village, they are all well qualified to gain the trust among the population necessary to carry out social work.
Conclusion
This project is of great significance for the opportunities for local organizations to work and comply with the state's administrative standards. In the current situation in Burkina Faso, with great political uncertainty, lack of legal security, and widespread and pervasive corruption, it is necessary to help restore stability and hope through all possible means. We have a strong hope that through this project, we can make a valuable contribution to the development process in Burkina Faso, which is extremely vulnerable, both in the sociopolitical context and in the ongoing and strongly palpable climate deterioration.