Many Roads to Justice: The Law Related Work of Ford ... - UNDP

BA N G L A D E S H 1 3 7areas. The evolution and nature of its systematic, methodicalapproach merits some attention, particularly because it has been amodel for other NGOs.Formally founded as a court-oriented legal aid group in 1978,M L A A began using mediation in 1983 partly out of frustrationwith the expense and delay of the judicial system. In addition,many clients wanted their problems addressed as simply as possible,and MLAA could serve more through alternative dispute resol u t i o n . Ford and other donor assistance, including the NORADsupportedconstruction of a residential training facility in theearly 1990s, enabled the organization to expand its legal serviceswork over the years and to train NGOs from all over Bangladeshregarding shalish. It would be unfair and inaccurate to creditM L A A alone with the growing use of shalish in Bangladesh. A S Khas employed a variation of it productively in Dhaka, as haveother organizations in other locales. But leaders in the legal servicesand human rights community describe the association as apioneering institution with the most systematic approach to mediat i o n .What, then, is that approach? Typically learning of MLAAthrough word of mouth, clients contact the organization throughits village-based mediation workers or through its town-basedbranch offices. Most clients are women involved in marriagerelatedconflicts. Low-income farmers with land-related disputesconstitute the next largest group. Once a client approaches MLAAand provides relevant information, the association decideswhether and how it can help. In most instances this results inM L A A o rganizing a shalish to which it invites both the client andthe opposing party. Relatives and friends are also welcome toattend. A mediation worker facilitates the event to some degree.Village-based mediation committee (MC) members play al a rger role. These are respected community figures whom MLAAhas recruited to participate whenever a shalish takes place, andwhom the association trains regarding family law, land law, mediationskills, and related matters. Some may have participated intraditional forms of shalish, but others (particularly the growingranks of female MC members) are new to the process. 3 The numberof MC members in attendance depends on their availability.The actual shalish is often a loud and passionate event in