Systemic Justice

📢 What does litigation cost? Bringing legal cases to court can be expensive—especially when it comes to strategic litigation. For community-led organisations working for racial, social, and economic justice, these costs can become a significant barrier to pursuing change through the courts. Systemic Justice removes the financial burden by providing our legal expertise completely free of charge. Beyond that, we also help secure funding for other necessary costs, such as research, campaigning, expert testimony, and well-being support. Click here to learn more and read our latest blog on what it costs to bring a legal case to court and do reach out to us if you have have any other questions about litigation and money: https://lnkd.in/e8DyDeYF

We are hiring! Systemic Justice has two open positions: 💛 Legal Programme Manager, with a focus on building community capacity to use strategic litigation for systemic change; 💛(Senior) Strategic Litigation Fellow, with a focus to partner with communities to develop and pursue strategic litigation cases. Why join Systemic Justice? Systemic Justice works to radically transform how the law serves communities campaigning for racial, social, and economic justice. We offer flexible hours tailored to European time zones, supportive team culture, and more! 💌 For the full job descriptions, compensation details, and how to apply, click here: 👉🏽Legal Programme Manager https://lnkd.in/e4VXtJrc 👉🏽(Senior) Strategic Litigation Fellow https://lnkd.in/eA-JN-k9

"Revolution is not a one-time event." – Audre Lorde 🗞️ Last Tuesday, Shell won an appeal against a groundbreaking 2021 Dutch court ruling that required the company to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The outcome of Shell’s appeal may feel like a setback, but let's be clear: it won’t end the wave of climate lawsuits demanding accountability from corporations. Real, lasting change through the courts doesn’t come from a single dramatic showdown. It happens long before a case reaches the courtroom: by building trust-based relationships, centring affected communities, and crafting strategies that go beyond winning a judgment. At Systemic Justice, we’re working alongside communities across Europe to make litigation a tool for systemic change. It may not be fast, but when done right, it reshapes entire systems. 👉🏽 Dive into our blog to learn how this deliberate, community-led approach is driving meaningful progress: https://lnkd.in/ehw5keTw 

🌅 “Togetherness.” 🌞 “Sunshine.” 🤲🏾 “Community care.” 💪🏾 “That we are powerful.” These were just a few of the reflections shared by participants as they concluded the Reclaiming Climate Justice Summit last month. Along Denmark’s coast, we brought together 23 activists from across Europe—from Spain and Greenland to Italy and Belgium—to collaborate, share experiences, and envision a climate-just future. Organised as part of our initiative to build BIPOC power in the climate movement, the summit focused on redistributing power, uplifting frontline communities, and exploring how the courts can be used for climate justice. Creativity and connection were central, with participants engaging in art, music, and somatic healing workshops. We’re grateful to everyone who helped make this gathering possible! Read our latest blog post for more: https://lnkd.in/eqdFTQNt Photos by Steven Pieternella

At Systemic Justice, we work to radically transform how the law works for communities fighting for racial, social, and economic justice. We are the first Black-led and majority BPOC team NGO in Europe. Do you want to receive monthly email updates on our litigation and research work, job openings, and and news about our network of communities? Then sign up for our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e_z3HdUc. We will send you only the most important updates. You can unsubscribe at any time, and we won’t ever pass your details on to other organisations.

🎉🫶🏽 Congratulations to our Founder and Director Nani Jansen Reventlow on launching Radicale rechtvaardigheid (Radical Justice) today! 🫶🏽 🎉 Radical Justice is a collection of essays, weaving together years of Nani's work across racial, social, economic, and climate justice, digital rights, freedom of expression, and more. Through these essays, Nani examines Black female leadership, questions hero worship in movements, and delves into the true meaning of staying radical. At its core, Radical Justice is a reminder: we all have a role in building the world we need. Because justice doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built, piece by piece, by each of us. Get your copy of Radicale rechtvaardigheid or gift it to someone who is less able to afford it in Dutch here (also available in local bookstores in the Netherlands): https://lnkd.in/ekPhYQMG. For those awaiting the English release, we’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek!

When it comes to tackling the climate crisis, some governments have recognised the scale of the issue. But what happens when you don’t put justice at the centre of green policies? In the last episode of Whose planet? The climate justice podcast we look at the transition to net zero, and what needs to be done to ensure that everyone benefits from a more sustainable environment.     This episode explores inequalities, hearing from communities who are disproportionately negatively impacted by green solutions. These include the Sámi Reindeer population standing up to governments to protect the land they have used for centuries to herd their reindeer, and disability activists fighting to cooperate internationally against the marginalisation of disabled people in policy spaces.  🎧 You can listen to episode three of Whose planet? on the platform of your choice: https://lnk.to/hIVB9U. Whose planet? The climate justice podcast was co-produced by Tortoise Media. With contributions from Niillas Beaska, Eva Maria Fjellheim, Matti Blind Berg, Anna Landre, and Magda-Sarah Boulabiza. Have you listened to Whose planet yet? Let us know what you think!

We are excited to share that the third and final episode of Whose planet? The climate justice podcast is out now! 🎧 In this episode, "Clean power: is green energy really that green?", we dive into the untold stories of communities affected by the so-called green transition. What happens when justice isn’t at the heart of green policies? 🌿 Eva Maria Fjellheim, a Southern Sámi researcher, discusses the fight to protect Sámi lands from green colonialism; 🌍 Matti Blind Berg, chairman of the Swedish Sámi Association, reveals how wind farms devastate Sámi culture and ancestral lands; 💬 Niillas Beaska, a Sámi Parliament politician, shares how the green transition forces Sámi people to sacrifice their way of life; 🏠 Magda-Sarah Boulabiza, an advocacy adviser, talks about Roma communities displaced by green development; ♿ Anna Landre, a disability justice activist, discusses how disabled people are scapegoated in environmental debates, with their essential needs seen as a "threat" to the environment. This episode asks the tough questions about what a just green transition truly looks like. Who's being left behind? Tune in now to this episode or catch up on any you’ve missed! https://lnk.to/hIVB9U Whose planet? The climate justice podcast was co-produced by Tortoise Media.

"How do we cover the expenses of a litigation project?" "Do you charge anything?" "What is the financial risk of bringing a case?" These are some of the questions we are regularly asked in our conversations with community partners. At Systemic Justice, we don't shy away from talking about money. Litigation can be resource-intensive and we start from the premise that our collaborations should be sustainable for everyone involved. So we need to be able to talk openly about money from a very early stage. In "Our litigation work: let's talk about money", our Head of Litigation, Jonathan McCully, answers some frequently asked questions about court cases, money, and how we work. If you have questions, drop them in the comments below and we'll include them when we further update this blog in the future! 👇🏾

🌊 "Lost at sea: what happens when your home is at risk from rising sea levels?" Inside episode two of Whose planet? The climate justice podcast 🌊 Low-lying islands are on the frontline of the climate crisis. Island communities and their cultures are at risk of being lost due to rising sea levels, driven by the actions and failures of the Global North.  In episode two of Whose planet? The climate justice podcast, we hear from the campaigners in the Caribbean island of Bonaire, who are holding the Dutch government to account to protect their land and cultural heritage. We consider the racism inherent within the climate crisis, and the climate justice organisers that are fighting against this. And we discuss the intersection between climate disaster and disability rights. 🎧 You can listen to episode two of Whose planet? on the platform of your choice: https://lnk.to/hIVB9U. Whose planet? The climate justice podcast was co-produced by Tortoise Media. With contributions from Onnie Emerenciana Danique Martis Michai Robertson Tatu (Lisa) Hey Eric Njuguna (They/ them) Julia Watts Belser. Have you listened to Whose planet yet? Let us know what you think!