intro to CLE

Steve Womersley

Loddon Campaspe CLC

What we’ll cover

What is CLE? Its vision, goals and objectives Community development principles CLE methods and strategies CLE examples CLE networks and resources

So, what is CLE?

Community Legal Education (CLE) is the provision of information and education to members of the community, on an individual or group basis, concerning the law and legal processes, and the place of these in the structure of society. The community may be defined geographically or by issue.

From Guidelines for the management of community legal education (updated 2009) - available on the BBS

Who’s responsible?

CLCs Solicitors Volunteers Students CLE/CD workers Locally responsive

VLA etc CLE unit Specialist divisions Publications Statewide mandate

CLE vision

Intrinsic to all work of Community Legal Centres (CLC's) and Legal Aid Commissions (LACs) is the assumption that… access to justice is not equal across society.

 

The vision of CLE is to increase equality of access to justice, social and legal, to all members of society.

CLE goals

Raise the awareness of the community of the law and legal processes

Increase the ability of the community to understand and critically assess the impact of the law and the legal system on themselves in society generally and in relation to particular sets of circumstances

Improve the community's ability to deal with and use the law and the legal system

Create a climate for participating in or influencing the law-making process and for pursuing law reform, through collective action where appropriate

CLE objectives

1. CLE should be informed by community development practice

2. CLE should be relevant to the community and respond to a need

3. CLE should be targeted to specific audiences

4. CLE should be accessible to those who need it

5. CLE should be appropriate to the targeted community

6. CLE should be based on consultation and participation with the targeted community

7. CLE should consider initiatives currently available

CLE objectives cont.

8. CLE should be coordinated9. CLE initiatives should be trialed

and tested10. CLE should be documented11. CLE should be evaluated12. CLE should be conducted by

those with appropriate skills13. CLE should be informed by

other disciplines when considering service delivery

CD Principles

From Community development: community-based alternatives in an age of globalization. Jim Ife and Frank

Tesoriero, 2006

Ecological principles

Holism – everything relates to everything else

Sustainability – must be able to be maintained long term

Diversity – between communities and within communities. Not seeking to impose one world view or ‘right’ structure

Organic development – respect and value community’s particular attributes

Balanced development – recognizing social, economic, political, cultural, environmental and personal/spiritual development

Social justice & HR principles

Addressing structural disadvantage – not reinforcing structural oppression but confronting and countering them

Addressing discourses of disadvantage – eg people with disabilities redefined as contributing members of society rather than reliant on charity

Empowerment – providing people with resources, opportunities, vocabulary, knowledge and skills to increase their capacity

Human rights – both protection and promotion

Need definition – need definition of community themselves should take precedence but should be agreement between various need-definers (inc service users, service providers, researchers, funding bodies)

Valuing the local

Valuing local knowledge – as opposed to engaging an outside consultant or ‘expert’

Valuing local culture – without disregarding other principles such as human rights or addressing disadvantage

Valuing local resources – including financial, technical, natural and human

Valuing local skills – skills developed locally most likely to succeed in that environment

Valuing local processes – not imposing specific answers, structures or processes from outside the community

Participation – provide broad range of participatory activities and legitimize equally all people involved

Process principles

Process, outcome and vision – each is relevant and helps to achieve the others

Integrity of process – the processes themselves should reflect all of the principles outlined

Consciousness-raising – helping people explore their personal experiences and the links between their experiences and the structure or discourses of power and oppression

Cooperation and consensus – rather than competition

Pace of development – community must determine the pace – cannot be ‘sped up’ for those who want to see results

Peace and non-violence – including addressing structural violence, physical violence (domestic, street, police, corporal punishment) by non-violent means, eg not appropriate to respond to youth crime with harsher penalties because it reinforces violent solutions

Process principles cont.

Inclusiveness – processes that include even those with opposing views so people can change positions without losing ‘face’

Community building – bringing people together and emphasizing interdependence

Global & local principles

Linking global and local Anti-colonialist practice – not taking

over the agenda, devaluing culture/experience or stripping people of identity.

CLE methods or strategies

Audio Campaign Capacity building project Community arts Community consultation Drama or theatre Establish network Media campaign Policy development Presentation Public Event Public protest Publication Research, survey or needs analysis

CLE methods or strategies

Social marketing Submission Translation or work with

interpreters Video Website, social media or

application Workshop/s, seminar or forum

CLE examples

Audio (SRV) Campaign (CALC) Capacity Building (VIOB) Community Arts (Clothesline) Community Consultation (VLAF) Drama, Theatre (Law Week,

Bingo) Establish Network (BFVPWG) Media campaign (Bendigo Courts) Policy development (Missing

Persons) Presentation (CLC4GV) Public Event (WRD) Public Protest (CLC4GV)

CLE examples cont.

Publication (Law Handbook) Research (Family Violence) Social marketing (VIOB) Submission (Guardianship) Translation & Interpreters

(Castlemaine) Video (Steps 2 Safety) Website (CLC4GV) Workshops (HPLC)

CLE resources & networks

CLE Folder on BBS (under National Noticeboard/Networks)

National CLEWS network (quarterly PLU) Victorian CLEWS network (meets monthly) CLE Made Easy (available on Community

Law) CLE & Law Reform Database (to be

launched October 2011) Victoria Law Foundation –

www.victorialaw.org.au, Legal Publishers Forum, and Better Information Handbook (inc workshops)

CLE & Special Projects Working Group (VLAF)

Fitzroy’s Legal Education Portal Plain Language Law (Law & Justice

Foundation NSW)