Your phone has put the global hive mind at your fingertips, so why squander your storage on face swaps and unused messenger services? These fitness apps are programmed to transform your health by the gigabyte. Your smartphone is about to get a whole lot smarter...

What Peloton did for your spin session, now Rowith can do for your dry-land rows. The app transforms your monotonous ergo training into inspiring full-body workouts, with audio-guided coaching and motivation from top Olympic rowers, such as James Cracknell and Steve Redgrave.

How to Use Our Free 15-Minute Workout Guide

Choose from a deep pool of sessions that range from beginner to Boat Race hopeful, and follow training plans that adapt to your current level of fitness. All of your stats are logged, and you can challenge friends and strangers to make your time in the hot seat more competitive.

Every year in the UK, we bin roughly five million tonnes of perfectly edible food, placing a huge strain on the planet, not to mention your weekly grocery bill. Food-sharing app Olio reduces waste by linking people who overestimated their appetites (or bought a four-pack of avocados two days before their winter ski break) with those in search of extra ingredients. Simply snap a photo, set a safe location for collection and use the in-app ratings to filter trusted recipients.

Well assume that, by now, youre fairly clued up on the benefits of meditation and mindfulness. But scheduling effective timeouts between meal prep, school runs, conference calls and workouts isnt easy.

Beginner's Push Workout for Fast Muscle

With more than 100 guided sessions for stress-busting, anxiety management and enhancing focus, Calm is your co-pilot to the land of chill, and it can also help you get to sleep. Specially selected bedtime tales narrated by the likes of Stephen Fry and Matthew McConaughey (really) will coax you into a higher state of unconsciousness.

Nutrifix calculates your daily macros and scans popular local eateries for meals that meet your requirements

Even for those who meal prep religiously on Sunday nights, the best-laid nutritional plans can fall apart when life gets busy. Whether youre a pescatarian keen to fit more nutrients into your diet, gluten-free and cutting weight, or a vegan trying to pack on muscle mass, Nutrifix hunts and gathers the information you need. It starts by calculating your daily macros and scanning popular local eateries for meals that meet your requirements. Then, all you have to do is order a delivery, or click and collect. Its a meal deal worth capitalising on.

Another pioneer in remote training for riders and runners alike, Zwift transforms tedious turbo rides and treadmill slogs into challenging, social sweat sessions. Pair any Bluetooth-enabled static bike or a runner with the app and power your avatar around the virtual roads of six immersive environments, including a futuristic New York. There are more than 1,000 structured workouts to choose from, plus around 300 group rides or races each day and you can even chat to strangers as you fly past them up the pixel mountains.

RunFriendly uncovers local gyms, hotels and other places you can use to wash after a workout

Given the chance, most of us would convert the dead time of our commute into a daily workout. But having nowhere to freshen up before your morning meeting can put you off smashing out a sweaty commute, or squeezing in a lap of the park during your lunch break.

Hate Running? This Cardio Workout Is For You

RunFriendly is a bit like Airbnb for showers. It uncovers local gyms, hotels and other places you can use to wash off the sweat on a one-off basis. As a bonus, your colleagues will never have to see you in Lycra, either.

ClassPass allows you to book workouts in 20,000 venues around the world with a flexible monthly fee

Committing yourself to a single gym membership, fixed to just one club and location, feels well, a bit 2019. Make this the year you untether your fitness goals. ClassPass allows you to book workouts in 20,000 venues around the world. A flexible monthly fee unlocks gym access, passes to group fitness classes from CrossFit to cardio, and even recovery treatments such as cryotherapy. You can search easily by location and activity and, when you cant travel, you can stream classes.

Until we can upload information directly into our brains, we'll have to make do with reading. But with so many new books being hyped and limited time to look into them, many life-changing ideas will inevitably pass you by. Blinkists app abridges the gap. Its experts distil the main concepts of best-selling non-fiction books into bite-sized text and audio files, so you can get the elevator pitch for the latest in fields such as leadership, health and nutrition. Consider it a York Notes for self-improvement.

WFA contains four comprehensive, 12-week training programmes, each tailored to your chosen fitness goal

If youve made it your mission to get leaner, quicker, fitter and/or stronger this year but dont quite have your action plan nailed down, this app is for you. Co-created by athlete-adventurer Ross Edgley, along with the editors at Men's Health, it contains four comprehensive, 12-week training programmes, each tailored to your chosen fitness goal.

Where to Download The World's Fittest App

Video guides help you nail the moves with proper form, while easy-to-follow workouts teach you how to put them all together. Plus, its roughly half of the price of a personal training session. Transform your body into an instrument not an ornament.

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Best Fitness Apps for 2020: Best Free Fitness Apps and Fitness Trackers - Men's health UK

ONGOING, 8:45-9:35 a.m., Mondays, World Gym Cedar Lake, 12937 Wicker Ave., Unit E, Cedar Lake. 219.390.7600. worldgym.com/cedar-lake. With a focus on the entire torso and arms, this class is not only a great upper body builder, but also a fantastic, overall, cardiovascular calorie burner. Short bouts of stepping choreography are interspersed throughout the hour to give the upper body bits of rests from the fatiguing strength work. This is a non-stop class that leaves you sweaty and exhilarated.

ONGOING, 9-9:45 a.m. Fridays. Franciscan Health Fitness Centers Schererville, 221 U.S. Hwy. 41, Ste. A, Schererville. 219.865.6969. franciscanhealthfitnesscenters.org. Aquatic exercise takes advantage of water as a physically supportive environment conducive to helping members improve motion and flexibility while under reduced joint stress. Aquatics can serve as a unique and advantageous alternative to other forms of physical exercise.This class was designed by the Arthritis Foundation for those individuals with impaired joint strength, range of motion or other physical challenges. The goal of this aquatic class is to increase the participants' range of motion for everyday living.

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ONGOING, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Wednesdays, Lynwood Sport Center, 2030 Glenwood-Dyer, Lynwood. 708-474-5900. skatelynwood.com. Whens the last time you put on a pair of roller skates? Get out of the cold and spend the morning brushing up on those skating skills on this indoor rink.

ONGOING, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, Schererville Community Center, 500 E. Joliet St. Schererville. northwestindiana.fit4mom.com. Stroller Strides is a total fitness program that ladies can do with their children. It includes power walking and intervals of strength and body toning exercises using exercise tubing, the stroller and the environment. Taught by certified and specially trained fitness instructors, it is a great workout for any level of exerciser. Stroller Strides instructors weave songs and activities into the routine designed to entertain and engage baby, while ladies are led through a series of exercises specific to her role as mom.

ONGOING, 6-6:45 p.m. Wednesdays. Franciscan Health Fitness Centers Chicago Heights, 100 197th Place, Chicago Heights, Ill. 708.755.3020. franciscanhealthfitnesscenters.org. This intentional slow but challenging class links the breath with a flowing sequence of yoga poses bringing you to a place of centered strength & ease and ends in meditation, release & relaxation.

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FITNESS EVENTS: Get moving with these upcoming fitness events - nwitimes.com

By Tunde Liadi

Enyimba have got positive updates from the treatment table after some of their injured players returned to training and are making progress ahead of their must win CAF Confederation Cup Matchday Four tie with Paradou AC of Algeria in Aba.

The Peoples Elephant have been battling with injuries to first team players but Theophilus Afelokhai, Andrew Abalogu, Stanley Dimgba and Nelson Ogbonnaya have resumed training with their teammates and could play some part in Sundays game if the interim coach, Fatai Osho gets the greenlight from the medical team for them to be fielded.

The media aide of the team, Bariza Zazi told NationSport that the four players have resumed training and are making progress towards a comeback to the team.

He, however, disclosed that Thomas Zenke and Ifeanyi Anaemena trained separately as they were still recovering from the injuries. Enyimba who recently changed their coach, Usman AbdAllah with Osho are third in Group D with three points from three games ahead of their blockbuster fixture with the Algerian opposition at the Enyimba Stadium, Aba on Sunday.

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Enyimbas Afelokhai, five others return to training - The Nation Newspaper

Ludhiana: The nation-wide results for the Common Admission Test (CAT), for admissions to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) were declared on Saturday. Six students from the city scored over 98 percentile marks and made their parents proud. Akshit Garg (21) managed to secure 99.58 percentile marks and is one among the top scorers from the city. Other toppers who scored 99-plus percentile marks are Ishan Singal (99.13), Shivam Singla (99.10), Vaibhav Singla (98.55), Kashish Garg (98.10) and Angad Loomba (98.48). Speaking after the results, Akshit said he had been preparing for the CAT for the last two years. I worked very hard to ace the test. I took coaching to crack the exam which helped me a lot, he said. He added that he cracked all the mock papers, and listed out all his weak points, which helped him excel. Akshit said that his success can be attributed to his teachers and parents who always supported him to take the right path. His father is a trader while is mother is a homemaker. Akshit aims to study at IIM Lucknow in order to hone his business skills to be able to start his own venture at later stages. Ishan, a resident of Pakhowal Road, managed to crack the CAT by scoring 99.13 percentile marks. A commerce graduate from Delhi University, Ishan plans to take admission in IIM Lucknow. He wants to pursue MBA in marketing. Shivam Singla who scored 99.10 percentile marks aims to become a finance consultant. I think to crack the CAT exam there is no need to study for 6 hours in a day, as one who study with dedication for three to four hours and can score good marks, he said. Sucess mantras of toppers Akshit Garg, 99.58 percentile A BCom student from Sri Aurobindo College of Commerce and Management Mantra: It was my second attempt. In the first attempt, I scored 95.13 percentile marks. My main focus was to crack mocks and ensure my graph goes up. Practice will always make you better Parents Rajesh Garg, trader and Sonia Garg, housewife Ishan Singal, 99.13 percentile A BCom graduate from Kirori Mal College, University Of Delhi Parents Ashok Singal, businessman and Sunita Singal, entreprenuer Mantra- Consistency is the formula to crack CAT and 6 hours of daily practice is needed Shivam Singla, 99.10 percentile A BCom graduate from Sri Aurobindo College of Commerce and Management Parents Sanjeev Singla, businessman and Sonia Singla, homemaker Mantra- Be confident while writing the exam. Focus on mock tests, as itll go a long way

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Six from city ace CAT exam, aim for IIMs - Times of India

Puducherry is an ideal location for hosting international yoga events by virtue of its peaceful and pious ambience, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy has said.

Inaugurating the 26th International Yoga Festival hosted by the Department of Tourism at the Gandhi Thidal, the Chief Minister said the city had attracted spiritual minds such as Sri Aurobindo and The Mother who had propagated the integral yoga concept globally. Even in the universal township of Auroville, yoga is an integral part of life for its community, which includes about 50 nationalities.

Crediting the Government of India, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for efforts at the United Nations for a global celebration of yoga, Mr. Narayanasamy said the Puducherry government was promoting wellness centres across hospitals.

The government was committed to develop tourism, yoga, art and culture and handicrafts. We would like to focus on promoting traditional Tamil culture so that they can not only entertain visitors but also inspire the younger generation, he said.

On a lighter note, Mr. Narayanasamy said yoga was particularly ideal for politicians and those in public life as it would equip them with patience. He himself was a regular practitioner of yoga in the morning and he had found that it had helped him discharge duties for about 17 hours every day, Mr. Narayanasamy said.

V. Vaithilingam, MP, T. Djeamourthy, MLA, Purva Garg, Tourism Secretary, L. Mohamed Mansoor, Tourism Director were among those who spoke.

Over 1,000 yoga practitioners and enthusiasts, including foreigners, are participating in the event.

The valedictory of the yoga festival will take place at the Art and Craft Village, Murungapakkam on Tuesday.

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International Yoga Festivalkicks off in Puducherry - The Hindu

It is always an honour and a privilege when previously showcasedguests who have appeared on the Living Fearlessly with Lisa McDonald internationally heard radio/podcast show, wish to be re-interviewed particularly when their momentous growth is fierce and steadfast! I love talking to the spitfires, who have new and exciting updates in which to discuss and to generously share with my loyal global listeners, and the podcast subscribers!

Jim Britt a person who I very much admire and respect, was my first guest of this brand new decade. It was important to me to set a strong tone on my platforms right out of the 2020 gate! Jim and business partner Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank (also interviewed on Living Fearlessly with Lisa McDonald) are jointly two of my radio/podcast sponsors, who are consistently supportive of me personally, with my brand professionally, and with my overall contributions to the shared space.

I feel very akin to Jim both personally and professionally, and so, any additional opportunity that I too, can publicly reiterate my immense gratitude for the ways in which Jim (and Kevin) have continued to pay it forward and have been of service to not only to me, but to countless others, I actively jump on it by seizing the moment!

Similar to our first initial interview, and not at all surprising to me Jim brought his dynamic energies, and nuggets of inspirational wisdom to the airwaves for our second go-around on Living Fearlessly with Lisa McDonald! I am in awe of the ongoing and newfound wheelhouses, Jim continues to immerse himself in with respect to projects, endeavours and concentrated areas of focus and sheer dedication! Jims time management skills in which to effectively juggle it all is spell-bounding to me. I touched upon that more than once in our fast paced, chalk-filled discussion, which can be heard in the enclosed podcast link!

Jims world renowned reputation is indicative of his longstanding commitment to excellence. For one to have successfully honed and mastered decades of genuine buy-in from clients, peers, colleagues, audiences, purchasers, and studentsthis can only speak to the conscientious application of methods consistently demonstrated by Jim, and for how it is reflective of his grasp and handle on ingenuity, vision, integrity, service delivery, and relatability. Clearly, Jim has a firm pulse and a genuine read not only on people overall, but also with respect to his intuitiveability to glean the trends and patterns of the marketplace. Jim has a remarkable knack for staying ahead of the curve for what people want and what people need thus responding and delivering accordingly. He is so on top of it, which makes following himMesmerizing!

I am exceptionally grateful to Jim once again for graciously bringing me into the fold with his joint venture book series, Cracking The Rich Code with Kevin Harrington, also endorsed by the one and only Tony Robbins! It has been an exciting collaborative partnership as one might imagine! I take nothing lightly or for granted when it comes to others like Jim, who are generously affording me additional opportunities in which to equally shine and grow yet another stellar example of Jim paving the way for all of us! Leadership at its finest!

On behalf of both Jim and myself, we wish to thank you for kindly taking time out of your hectic schedules so as to read this Feature Article, in addition to kindly tuning into the enclosed podcast link, and also for any forthcoming contact or connection you may wish to initiate or extend to either or to both of us. We equally value the growth and development of the overall collective. It would be our mutual honour to assist, support and encourage you, in any way you deem it to be a good synergistic fit!

Thank you once again, Jim, for the generous gift of your time and for once again bring your A-Game to Living Fearlessly with Lisa McDonald. The global listeners, podcast subscribers and I very much appreciate you our friend! Keep Shining!

Uplifting You To Fear Less And To Live More!

Be your own Hero. Be your own Shero. Be your own Leader. Be your own Best Friend! Love & Gratitude ~Lisa #Grateful #ThriveThursday #ThriveGlobal #LivingFearlessly

Who is Jim Britt?

Jim Brittis an internationally recognized leader and highly sought after speaker in the field of peak performance andpersonal empowerment training. He is author of 13 best-selling books including,Cracking the Rich Code, The Power of Letting Go, Freedom, Unleashing Your Authentic Power, Do This. Get Rich-For Entrepreneurs, to name a few.

Jimhas presented seminars throughout the world sharing his success principles for entrepreneurs and life enhancing realizations with thousands of audiences, totaling over 1,500,000 people from all walks of life.

As an entrepreneur Jim has started 28 successful business ventures. He has served as a success counselor to over 300 corporations worldwide. He was recently named as one of the worlds top 50 speakers and top20 success coaches. Early in Jims speaking career he was Business partner with the late Jim Rohn for 8 years, where Tony Robbins worked under Jims direction for his first few years in the speaking business.

In addition to Jims speaking schedule, he is currently working on a business venture with Kevin Harrington from the TV show Shark Tank on a collaborative book series and PR, Marketing, Branding and lead generation strategy for entrepreneurs, titled: Cracking the Rich Code.

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Activating Your Real Potential! - Thrive Global

The Bradford Womens+ Group celebrates its first anniversary on Jan. 16 a full year of providing a safe space for women+ to come together, for personal development and empowerment.

The groups mission statement is simple: To empower women+ through personal development, education and building community. To that end, Bradford Womens+ Group has organized free monthly meetings and special sessions on topics that in 2019 ranged from yoga and Zumba, to the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

The topic on Jan 16 is 'Tips and Tools for Stress Management' - a workshop, led by facilitator Sue Carr, that will help participants gain a better understanding of the many ways in which stress can impact their lives, identify'early warning signs' for stress-related problems, and cope with stress.

The workshop takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Zima Room of the BWG Public Library and Cultural Centre, 425 Holland St. W. (doors open at 6:15 p.m.), and isopen to all women+ ages 18 and older.

The session is free, but space is limitedand pre-registration is recommended. Register online by clicking here, or contact the Group at 905-251-9926 or bradfordwomensgroup@gmail.com, or see BradfordWomensGroup on facebook.com - and check out the video recapping the events and achievements of 2019.

Bradford Womens+ Group is also looking for facilitators, for sessions on mental health, mindfulness, body acceptance and healthy relationships in 2020.

As we reflect on our first year, we couldnt be more thrilled about our achievements and growth, say the organizers. We are so grateful for your support and cant wait to see where 2020 takes us!

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Marking a first anniversary of empowerment, education with the Bradford Women's+ Group - BradfordToday

The Gyrlfriend Collective will continue to host live co-author interviews on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m. Co-writers include Rosalyn McIntosh, Shanell Lee, Dr. Chantrise Holliman, Maureen Carnakie-Baker, Shameka Hatcher and the AmNews very own, Nayaba Arinde. The live co-author interviews have been promoting their new book, Womens Empowerment, Breakthrough Edition which will be released January 15 on Amazon.com. Womens Empowerment, Breakthrough Edition will mark the Gyrlfriend Collectives fourth book.

The Gyrlfriend Collective is a well-known full-service independent publishing house which hosts collaborations with women of all different backgrounds to have a safe space where they can empower women based on their personal stories.

We connect, support, and uplift writers in sharing theirexperiences through the art of storytelling, say Gyrlfriend Collective founders Dr. Marquita Smith Blades, Maureen Carnakie-Baker and Cynthia

A. Fontan.

While providing social support, they also give regular, everyday women the opportunity for professional and publishing opportunities. For more information contact http://www.GyrlfriendCollective.com

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The Gyrlfriend Collective presents: 'Women's Empowerment Breakthrough Edition' - Amsterdam News

Salma Hayek's 13-year-old daughter, Valentina, finds her mom's "over the top" role in the new comedy "Like a Boss"embarrassing. Nonetheless, the actress thoroughly enjoyed adding to the list of films starring female protagonists.

At the premiere of her new comedy "Like a Boss" on Tuesday night in New York, Salma Hayek shared that it even surprised her how much she enjoyed her role in the comedy film.

The "freedom" the part allowed Salma really enabled her to have fun with it, as she added:

"The freedom of being able to do comedy without restrictions. It's over the top and you could improvise. It didn't have to be nice or say things correctly or politely. She was proud of being the way she was. She thought it was great she was like that."

The 53-year-old actress stars alongside Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish in the film that follows best friends Mel and Mia (Rose and Tiffany), who come together to run a boutique cosmetics company. Salma arrives on the scene as Claire,a notorious titan in the industry that prospects them for a big buyout offer.

Although Salma is unsure about similarities between her andthecharacter Claire, she does know that her teenaged daughter leans towards embarrassment over her mom's onscreen antics as Salma said:

"She embarrassed.Butshe loves Tiffany so much;they are very good, very good together, that I am forgiven for the embarressment."

The actress and her husband, Francois-Henri Pinault, welcomed Tiffany to the world two years before they tied the knot in 2007. Since branded Salma's mini-me, she raises Tiffany differently to the way she grew up.

Because her life is different from that of her mother's when she grewup, Salma avoids saying the same "sort of things" to her daughter as her mother did to her.

Although she finds the things her mother taught her important, Salma feels that Tiffany "needs the opposite." Hence, she developeda completely different style of parenting than she experienced as a child.

Being a fan of personal development and empowerment, Salma marveled at the opportunity when it also spilled over into her career with her latest comedy.

Proud to be a part of a film that is not about a woman needing a man, but instead about women empowering themselves, it comes hot on the heels of other movies released such as "Captain Marvel" and "Little Women," which features female protagonists.

However, for her "crazy role," Salma Hayek considered going through cosmetically altering lengths to submerge herself into her role as Claire fully.

Because Botox can't be reversed, it wasn't an option, so Salma decided to try fillers, but as the needle went into her mouth, she couldn't go through with it. In the end, "huge teeth" had to suffice.

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Salma Hayek Shared Her Teen Daughter's Embarrassment over Her Villainous 'Like a Boss' Role - AmoMama

January 9, 2020 In 2007, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit Perus central coast, killing hundreds of people and injuring many more. In the port town of Pisco, about three hours south of the capital of Lima, the earthquake hit especially hard: Homes and buildings crumbled to the ground, the roof of the San Clemente cathedral collapsed upon churchgoers, and, as The New York Times described it, the citys main plaza was transformed into a makeshift morgue. In the months that followed, humanitarian assistance was focused on finding survivors and ensuring that the basic needs of some 85,000 affected families were met. But as the dust settled and the crisis subsided, Piscos victims found themselves in limbo.

You have humanitarian intervention in the moment itself and when the emergency is gone, people have to take on their new life, says Patricia van Nispen tot Sevenaer the founder of Microjustice4All, a legal empowerment organization. That process takes time.

When Microjustice4All began working in Pisco eight years after the earthquake, many of those affected had fled to the outskirts of town or the rural areas beyond because they lacked the property documents required to access reconstruction assistance from humanitarian aid organizations. Living in informal housing, often without access to water or sanitation and with no legal right to the land they depended upon, earthquake victims risked being displaced once again. For the Microjustice4All team, which focuses on ensuring that vulnerable communities have access to basic legal documents, this was especially concerning.

For two years, the Microjustice4All Peru team worked in Pisco and held almost 2,500 legal consultations with residents, seeking to obtain or correct their personal and property documents. In one case, facilitators met an elderly woman whose home was damaged in the earthquake but because of unresolved legal issues, she was unable to access loans or government programs to aid with repairs. A legal facilitator from Microjustice4all helped her resolve the issue in about a month.

The Microjustice4All team in Peru reviews a map of the village of Caucato before conducting a census as part of their work following the Pisco earthquake. Photo courtesy of Microjustice4All

People need to be able to go on with their lives and get back to their pre-disaster situation, at the very least, says Van Nispen tot Sevenaer. To do that, legal documents are essential.

Worldwide, some 5 billion people lack basic access to justice, according to a report by the Taskforce for Justice, an initiative of Pathfinders for Peaceful,Just and Inclusive Societies, an interdisciplinary group working on peace and justice issues. For these people, the law can appear to be either an abstract concept or a threat to their livelihood. Because of this, thousands of organizations, including Microjustice4All, have begun to advance the idea of legal empowerment: equipping people with the knowledge and skills necessary to use the law to exercise their basic rights. While the term itself emerged in the early 2000s, the practice dates back to the 1950s, when South African paralegals helped nonwhites defend themselves against apartheid.

More recently, as communities face a multitude of environmental problems, some exacerbated by climate change and others born from extractive industries, legal empowerment has become a powerful environmental justice tool. The idea and practice has even gained enough traction to be included among the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015.

Vivek Maru, the founder of Namati an organization that trains and employs community paralegals across six countries estimates that about 70% of their work is focused on land and the environment.

Were living in a time of historic concentration of power, says Maru. And the law, which is supposed to be one of the most important tools we have for challenging environmental destruction, has fallen victim to that concentration of power.

In an ideal world, says Marco Simons, an attorney with EarthRights International (ERI) a global environmental organization that describes itself as combin[ing] the power of the law and the power of people any legal strategy would be formulated and spearheaded by those from the affected community. But most of the world is not yet at that point, Simons says.

Wed like to move in that direction, because thats when communities have the tools in their own hands to resist and demand accountability, he says.

In the meantime, partnerships forged between those with resources and those without are beginning to close the gap between who is able to defend their rights and who is structurally or economically prohibited from doing so. From Peruvian farmers litigating against mining companies in the U.S. court system to community paralegals fighting the harmful impact of extractive industries in India, legal empowerment offers communities a way into the legal system and a means of reclaiming its power.

In Pisco, Microjustice4All began by researching who, because of poverty or other circumstance, did not have access to personal or property documents and as a result was excluded from the legal system. Alongside displaced victims living in temporary housing, the team found that among the widows and single mothers who had received legal assistance from people such as tramitadores (people who process documents), many still, nearly a decade after the natural disaster, had incorrect papers and were living in unsafe homes across the city. Additionally, Van Nispen tot Sevenaer says, most peoples property issues had begun long before the earthquake itself, adding another layer of complexity to the recovery process. Through their work in Pisco, Microjustice4Alls local legal team addressed some 500 cases in the city, the majority of them tied to untangling complex property rights.

Our clients always say, finally we belong, Van Nispen tot Sevenaer says. Its not only the paperwork, its also a feeling that you become a citizen.

While the work Microjustice4All engages in is one method of tackling basic legal issues, another is the practice of barefoot lawyers or community paralegals. Since 2011, Namati has been building a global movement of community paralegals focused on environmental justice in India, Sierra Leone, Myanmar, Kenya and, most recently, the United States. While community paralegals dont need to have a legal background, Maru says theyre often looking for locals with a proven commitment to the common good and a strong rapport with the community in which they live. In India, where more than 31 million cases filed in court are classified as pending, Namati has had success in tackling polluting companies, multi-billion-dollar coal conglomerates and municipalities failing to protect residents from dangerous waste dumping. But much like the dangers faced by global environmental defenders, theres also an element of personal risk for community paralegals confronting corporations.

We have found that you cannot train paralegals and then leave them alone, says Maru. Thats a way of doing more harm than good.

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In part because of this, Namati formed the Global Legal Empowerment Network, an online and in-person forum that helps lawyers and grassroots organizations share knowledge and resources. This vertical network, as Maru describes it, also supports those taking on powerful interests and companies. Natural Justice, an environmental and human rights law organization based in sub-Saharan Africa, is a member of this network and works with a similar paralegal model. For example, in northern and coastal Kenya, community environmental legal officers train and assist community members on how to submit complaints that arise from legal violations caused by extractive and infrastructure projects.

For Maru, part of the appeal of legal empowerment is the ability to make meaningful progress without the need to necessarily go to court. While taking a case to court can be effective, it has traditionally been viewed as an expensive, prohibitive and disempowering experience. But sometimes, cases are best litigated in court and as a result, organizations have begun to apply the principles of legal empowerment to a that more traditional process.

In communities across Californias Central Valley, where sprawling agricultural fields abut oil wells, the Center for Race, Poverty, and the Environment (CRPE) a U.S. environmental justice organization takes a community-first approach to litigation. When cases go to court, staff attorneys collaborate with local community groups to build an organizing plan alongside the case. This could include protests, petition drives or even organizing a court translator so that those most affected often low-income immigrants can participate in the proceedings, according to Ingrid Brostrom, the organizations assistant director. While CRPE has several ongoing cases related to resource extraction, climate change and the management of utilities, Brostrom says that the goal is to help communities become the solution.

Rather than attacking every single polluter, we can reduce pollution by building power, she says.

ERI has used other innovative strategies in the pursuit of justice.

As part of its strategy of legal empowerment, the California-based Center for Race, Poverty, and the Environment collaborates with local community groups to build an organizing plan alongside legal cases. Here, Juan Flores, a community organizer for the organization, is seen taking part in the Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice march in 2018. Photo courtesy of 350.org, from Flickr, Taken by Brooke Anderson with Survival Media Agency, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

For the past two years, the organizations attorneys have been working with Mxima Acua Atalaya de Chaupe, a subsistence farmer from Perus rural highlands and Goldman Environmental Prize winner, to fight a case against Newmont Mining. According to ERI, Chaupe and her family have been pressured and physically harassed to vacate their land in order to accommodate a gold mining project. Family members say they have been attacked and threatened by representatives from the mining giant and their property and possessions, including livestock, have been damaged or attacked. Given that Newmont is a U.S. corporation, Chaupes case for damages is being tried in Delaware, where the company is incorporated.

The U.S. has a very strong court system and a strong tradition of upholding powerful actors accountable for the injuries they inflict on others, says Simons. Unfortunately, thats not true in many countries around the world.

ERI has pioneered the use of another legal tool the Foreign Legal Assistance (FLA) statute to help public interest lawyers working abroad. Through the FLA, local lawyers can access relevant documents and testimony from people or corporations based in the U.S. In 2012, ERI filed an FLA action on behalf of five Nigerian villagers who were suing Chevron Nigeria, claiming the corporation caused environmental and health harm to their community. Historically, this type of request has been used by multinational corporations including Chevron. While the statute itself dates back to the 1940s, filing an action has been difficult for those outside of the U.S. with few resources. As such, ERI believes the action filed on behalf of the Nigerian villagers may have been the first time a public interest group used FLA for a community seeking to gather information about a U.S. multinational.

For us, all strategies are potentially on the table, Simons says. Whats really important is putting the community first and making sure their voice is being heard and their priorities are front and center.

As legal empowerment gains more momentum, organizations have recognized the need to train local people in the legal methods they have adopted and pioneered. Each year, Namati holds a Legal Empowerment Leadership Course in Budapest whereby selected leaders, policymakers, donors and researchers working on the issue of legal empowerment come together to learn from one anothers experiences. Microjustice4All has recently begun to scale up and is developing a program to help young lawyers in Bolivia, Serbia and Kenya establish their own law firms and work on issues around basic legal documentation. In Southeast Asia and Latin America, ERI coordinates recurring trainings for local or indigenous paralegals, lawyers and legal advocates working across the regions. Through training and knowledge sharing, the hope is that people affected by environmental injustices will not only be able to confront those accountable but represent their own communities while doing so.

You see a shift when communities that are most affected by these kinds of abuses have the tools in their own hands, says Simons. And if you talk to people, youll find that they share the goal of having a greater voice in their own path forward.

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5 billion people around the world lack basic access to justice. These organizations are out to - Ensia