We are considering a new name for our network. As a valued member, your input on what we should call ourselves is crucial. Please take a moment to complete our survey by Friday, August 9.
Click here to access the survey.
This is the first step in a broader branding process for the Global Legal Empowerment Network. We are presently exploring a new logo, a new look, a new website, and a new name. More information about why we are doing this appears at the end of this post. For now, without further adoâŚ
~THE THREE OPTIONS~
Legal Empowerment Network
Pros:
- Legal empowermentâhelping people to know, use, and shape the law to address injusticeâ is at the heart of our community. It is what binds us together and is what we are looking to collectively advance
- Many of us are pushing for the term âlegal empowermentâ to be more recognized and commonly used. Committing to the name is a way to advance that goal.
- it is not a big change from the current name. This could help reduce confusion when the new brand is launched.
Cons:
- The words are long and somewhat clunky.
- Outside of our field, the term âlegal empowermentâ is spreading, but it is not yet widely known.
- The word âlegalâ sounds technical. It may create the misleading impression that ours is a network exclusively for legal professionals.
Justice For All Network
Pros:
- It is catchy; it has a good ring to it.
- It builds off the Justice For All campaign, which is powered by the Network.
- The term âJustice For Allâ is popular in the development and access to justice communities; the phrase is used by the United Nationâs Sustainable Development Goals.
Cons:
- Our network is focused on âbottom-upâ approaches to ensuring access to justice. We work with communities to help people know, use, and shape law. This is not clear from the name.
- Because it is such a common phrase, it comes with a lot of preconceptions. For example, the word âjusticeâ is often associated with the formal justice system: courts, lawyers, police, etc. This can mislead people into thinking that we focus on these institutions alone.
Grassroots Justice Network
Pros:
- It is catchy; it has a good ring to it
- The use of the word âgrassrootsâ makes it clear that the Networkâs primary focus is to support those working at the community level. It aligns with the âbottom-upâ aspect of legal empowerment.
Cons:
- The term âgrassrootsâ does not translate well in some languages, such as Spanish.
Finally, a little background reading below.
Why are we creating a new brand
This network belongs to all of us. Our âbrandâ should represent who we are as a collective.
To date, however, we have not used a distinctive brand. Instead, we have borrowed from Namati branding, which causes confusion. Namati convenes the Global Legal Empowerment Network - playing a role similar to a secretariat. But all of the key priorities, strategies, and activities are driven by members. More and more, members from around the world are taking up key leadership roles within the network. We need a brand that represents that.
What we are asking you to do
Our formal name is âthe Global Legal Empowerment Network.â What a mouthful! Few people use this name in its entirety. Many resort to calling it the âNamati Network,â creating further confusion. Our Network Guidance Committee narrowed a range of options down to three (shorter) names. These are the options presented in the survey.
Please feel free to discuss these options and the naming process in general below, in this discussion thread. Thanks again for completing the survey!