{"id":26269,"date":"2025-10-27T10:52:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T08:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiil.org\/?p=26269"},"modified":"2025-10-27T14:10:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T12:10:39","slug":"towards-justice-in-dark-times-my-experience-with-sjip-by-etidal-mohsen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiil.org\/fr\/news\/towards-justice-in-dark-times-my-experience-with-sjip-by-etidal-mohsen\/","title":{"rendered":"Towards Justice in Dark Times: My Experience with The Syria Justice Innovation Process (SJIP) \u2014 by Etidal Mohsen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article shares the personal experience of Etidal Mohsen, a member of the Syria Justice Innovation Process (SJIP), following her participation in the SJIP II Sharing Event. It was originally written in Arabic. The Arabic version is available below.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After more than twelve years of conflict, Syria is currently experiencing one of the most severe refugee crises in the world. Over 14 million Syrians have been displaced, millions lack civil documentation, and 90% of the population lives in extreme poverty. In the midst of this complex transitional period, people-centered justice solutions have become not merely an option but an urgent necessity. Such approaches provide individuals with security and lay the foundations for recovery and the rebuilding of trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2018, I have had the honor of joining the Syria Justice Innovation Process (SJIP), whose activities are facilitated by the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL), an international organization dedicated to making justice accessible and user-friendly. HiiL operates on the principle that justice is a fundamental right, not a privilege.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that time, Syria was enduring one of its most difficult phases. Engaging in legal work was, in itself, a significant risk. Nonetheless, I chose to follow this path, firmly believing that defending human rights is not a luxury, but a moral and humanitarian obligation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, SJIP was the main initiative that brought together together Syrian judges, lawyers, civil society leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, and innovators. I was privileged to be part of this dynamic team that develops innovative legal solutions to everyday justice challenges \u2013 solutions rooted in the Syrian context and responsive to the population\u2019s pressing needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work has addressed highly sensitive issues such as violence against women and girls (VAWG), their rights to protection and access to justice, as well as the widespread problem of missing legal documents, which has deprived thousands of families of their rights to education, housing, inheritance, and even legal identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We continue to operate under extremely challenging conditions, facing the risks of legal persecution and the ongoing struggle to build trust, even within small working groups. Yet, despite these obstacles, we have succeeded in innovating and progressing, guided by the conviction that justice is not something granted from above, but something created by people and for people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Justice Innovation Labs, we encountered people from different backgrounds who shared one common goal: To explore new methods of conflicts resolution and access to their rights. This gave rise to field-based local initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These initiatives were not merely technical or legal projects; they were true stories of hope that transformed people’s lives for the better, within the limits of what was possible and feasible given the harsh realities of life in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What distinguishes HiiL is that it refrains from imposing ready-made solutions. Instead, it believes in Syrians’ ownership of their future. The organization acted as a neutral convener, empowering local experts to lead, while providing the knowledge and technical support necessary to create realistic and sustainable alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through this experience, I have learned that justice is not found solely in courtrooms, but also in every home where documents are restored, in every woman who is treated fairly, and in every young person who finds a way to work without fear or discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, HiiL has been more than just an organization \u2013 it has been a school of faith in humanity, a safe space for honesty, perseverance, and teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, as I look back on the past years, I feel deeply proud to be part of this pioneering initiative, which has placed justice at the heart of Syria’s recovery process and truly upheld its slogan: \u201cJustice is a right, not a privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SJIP is an initiative led by Syrians and for Syrians that gave us the opportunity to be agents of change. At a time when hope was fading, we tried to bring it back through justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Etidal Mohsen<\/strong>
Member of the Syria Justice Innovation Process
Human Rights Lawyer and Activist<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Watch Syrians and the SJIP team explain how the Syria Justice Innovation Process is creating change on the ground, through practical solutions that make justice more accessible and responsive to people\u2019s needs<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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