BABSEACLE is an international non-governmental legal education, access to justice, organisation working to strengthen justice education and provide access to justice throughout Southeast Asia and globally. As a means to achieve this goal, since 2003 BABSEACLE has been working collaboratively with universities, law students, legal institutions, law firms, corporations, governmental and non-governmental organisational partners to develop and strengthen legal education clinics in the Southeast Asia region and worldwide. The goal of the organisation is to better educate students, instil pro-bono/community service ethics in recent graduates, build a stronger and more professional legal profession, strengthen rule of law, and assist in the providing of access to justice services to poor and marginalised communities.

BABSEACLE es una organización internacional no gubernamental para la educación jurídica y el acceso a la justicia que trabaja para fortalecer la educación en justicia y brindar acceso a la justicia en el sudeste asiático y en todo el mundo. Como medio para lograr este objetivo, desde 2003 BABSEACLE trabaja en colaboración con universidades, estudiantes de derecho, instituciones jurídicas, bufetes de abogados, corporaciones, organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales para desarrollar y fortalecer clínicas de educación jurídica en el Sudeste Asiático y en el mundo. La meta de la organización es educar mejor a los estudiantes, inculcar ética de servicio pro-bono / orientada a la comunidad en los recién graduados, construir una profesión legal más fuerte y más profesional, fortalecer el estado de derecho y ayudar a proveer acceso a servicios de justicia a las personas de bajos recursos y otras comunidades marginadas.

BABSEACLE est une organisation internationale non gouvernementale axée sur l'éducation juridique et l'accès à la justice qui vise à renforcer l'éducation dans la justice et l'accès à la justice dans le Sud-Est asiatique et dans le monde. Afin de ce faire, depuis 2003 BABSEACLE travaille en collaboration avec des universités, des étudiants en droit, des institutions juridiques, des cabinets d'avocats, les gouvernements et les organisations non gouvernementales pour développer et renforcer des cliniques d'éducation juridique dans le Sud-Est asiatique et dans le monde. Le but de l'organisation est de mieux éduquer les élèves, inculquer l'éthique pro-bono / de service à la communauté des diplômés récents, construire une profession juridique plus solide et plus professionnelle, renforcer la primauté du droit et faciliter l'accès aux services de justice pour les personnes à faible revenu et d'autres communautés marginalisées.

Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE)

The International Drug Policy Consortium invites applications for the Fellowship Programme from eligible persons in the Philippines who are passionate about using their legal skills and experience to help people that are negatively affected by drug laws in the country. 

The Fellowship involves carrying out an action plan over a maximum period of 9 months with a budget of USD3,000, under the guidance of a mentor.

The Drug Laws and Access to Justice Fellowship Programme is a component of the REFORM project. In February 2023, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), together with 

Institute of HIV Research and Innovation (IHRI)

 in Thailand, started implementing a 3-year regional project funded by the 

. It is called the "Criminal Justice Reform through Drug Policy Reform in Southeast Asia" (REFORM) project, and the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) serves as the overall project coordinator and leads on delivery of the regional programme of activities, where partners from Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines are included, in collaboration with 

 (Malaysia). The REFORM project aims to support people who use drugs, media professionals, legal experts, and civil society allies to work together in advocacy to end punitive drug laws, abusive law enforcement practices, and stigma and discrimination.

The objective of the Fellowship Programme is to support the development of emerging advocates through focused and targeted mentoring and capacity building, in the Philippines, Malaysia and Myanmar. The Fellowship Programme will operate for three years, with one fellowship awarded to one person from a different country (either the Philippines, Malaysia or Myanmar) each year from 2023 to 2025.

Who is eligible to apply for the Fellowship?

People working in the Philippines to provide various forms of legal assistance, including paralegal assistance, and/or to advocate for reforms to drug policies and practices to improve human rights and harm reduction outcomes for people negatively affected by punitive drug policies, e.g. people who use drugs, within the country.

Fellows will be selected through a process involving an open call for applications. Applications received will be assessed by a panel of experts working at regional and country level in the field of drug policy reform and access to justice, and assessed against the following criteria:

interest and capacity to provide legal assistance and ensure access to justice for people affected by punitive drug policies

interest and capacity to contribute to advocacy for drug policy reform towards decriminalisation and harm reduction, and

ability to collaborate with civil society advocates and communities affected by punitive drug policies.

Fellows will develop and implement their own 9-month workplan for improving access to justice in relation to the application of drug laws, together with a mentor. Throughout the 9-month period, and under a Memorandum of Understanding with their mentor, fellows will commit to:

develop and implement their workplan, in consultation with their mentor

initiate a monthly call, for a maximum one hour duration, with their mentor to discuss progress and seek feedback on implementation of their workplan, and

connect and communicate with other colleagues on a regular basis, including as facilitated by IDPC and through participation in capacity-building activities as opportunities arise, to support regional knowledge and capacity transfer.

The Programme aims to support fellows who wish to boost their capacity to bring about change in a region with some of the most punitive policies against people who use drugs in the world, by applying their legal and para-legal skills and knowledge.

Fellows are expected to stay in their pre-existing roles or employment, and to work towards completion of the workplan on a part-time basis only. They will receive a modest amount of financial support (USD3,000) for delivering workplan outputs, eg. publication and meeting costs.

IDPC will also work to ensure that Fellows can meet their mentor in person at least once during the year, and have opportunities to network with other fellows and civil society advocates in the region, eg. through participation in capacity-building and advocacy activities.

If you wish to apply for the fellowship programme, please send an application via email to Ms. Unchisa Eaimtong (ueaimtong@idpc.net), IDPC Programme Officer, by 

11pm (Bangkok time) Thursday 21 September 2023

. The application should include the following information, in the body of the email or as attachments:

Outline of your proposed workplan to be implemented throughout the duration of the Fellowship Programme from 1 November 2023 to 31 August 2024, including objectives, rationale, expected outcomes, workplan activities and estimated timeline for implementation.

Drug laws and access to justice in the Philippines fellowship programme - Call for applications

By Rodan Mecano, Associate Director for the Universal Healthcare Lab, Civika, Philippines

Since the declaration of the War on Drugs by President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines has faced increasing international scrutiny. A growing death toll, estimated to be between 3,000 and 12,000 people, has resulted from violence related to the anti-drug efforts. Individuals began to turn themselves into the authorities in order to escape the possibility of death. The national government, overwhelmed by the sheer number of “drug surrenderees”, has scrambled to build upon their initial fragmented response. Community-based drug rehabilitation programs implemented by local government units, NGOs, and churches have begun to address gaps in care. Overcrowded jails and an inundated criminal justice system point to the need to recalibrate policies, anchoring the response to illegal drugs in a health-centered, and not criminal-centered, approach.

 organised a regional training workshop in Malaysia in September, inviting 31 delegates from across the ASEAN region. It aimed to provide an introduction to the concepts of harm reduction and access to justice for people who use drugs. From the perspective of a Philippine delegate, the workshop proceedings addressed two gaps that are found in the country’s community-based drug rehabilitation movement – education and a unified understanding.

A health-centred approach acknowledges that people who experience difficulties related to their drug use should be able to access support and care services

. But it also allows to understand how not every person using drugs will need help. When this point is delivered by skilled facilitators with a history of drug use, it is particularly powerful. Harm reduction concepts are not widely popular in the Philippines and this is reflected by current policies. The Philippines is a country where the stigmatisation of persons using drugs is widespread. In countries where community-based initiatives are just emerging, educating the public is imperative for the creation of policies that support harm reduction.

Through collaboration and discussion, delegates gained a broader awareness of the current situation of the drug issue at both the local and international level. 

While the Philippines has dominated the international headlines, it is not the only country in the ASEAN region that is currently faced with similar challenges

. In an era of globalisation, we can draw ideas from the lessons learned in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. Similarly, discussions on the local context between the Philippine delegates highlighted the need for information sharing. With individuals from a myriad of organizations and backgrounds, not everyone had access to the same information on the current status of the anti-drug campaign in the Philippines. In addition, varying levels of expertise on the concepts of harm reduction made the workshop discussion engaging and informative. As a platform for candid discussion, the workshop promoted an atmosphere where delegates could attempt to reach a mutual understanding.

The Philippines moves towards a critical pivot point as recognition of community-based initiatives continues to grow. The creation of policies that support a continuum of treatment and care for people who use drugs is the next step. In that sense, the 

Introduction to Harm Reduction and Drug Policy Advocacy & Access to Justice for People Who Use Drugs

 regional training workshop came at the perfect time.

Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE)

Region

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