The Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) has announced a substantial $2.68 million funding initiative to bolster civil society organizations (CSOs) and key human rights projects in Nigeria and five other West African nations.
Announced on June 26, 2024, the ATJLF, supported by the MacArthur Foundation and WellSpring Philanthropic Fund, aims to enhance African-led transitional justice initiatives in the region.
Following extensive discussions among ATJLF executives, the decision was made to allocate fewer but more substantial grants, providing significant financial and technical support over two-year periods, as opposed to the smaller, one-year grants previously issued.
According to the ATJLF’s statement:
– $1,555,000 will be distributed to fifteen CSOs to advance transitional justice efforts across six West African countries.
– $750,000 will support legacy projects, including capacity building for grantees.
– $375,000 is designated for collaboration with regional and continental bodies.
As the ATJLF moves into its Legacy Phase, concluding in 2026, this funding aims to establish sustainable interventions in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Northeast Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.
The ATJLF has outlined clear priorities for the grants, focusing on stakeholders engaged in human rights protection and promotion. The criteria emphasize initiatives that align with institutional transitional justice efforts and those that empower survivors and community-based partners to achieve policy outcomes and prevent further human rights violations.
A key component of the ATJLF’s strategy is deepening its collaboration with the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This partnership aims to ensure the effective design and implementation of the African Union Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) and related sub-regional policies and programs.
The ATJLF expressed gratitude and anticipation for ongoing collaboration, reaffirming its commitment to working with grantee partners, the AU, ECOWAS, and other actors in the transitional justice space to build on current successes.
The Legacy Phase grants and projects will bring ATJLF’s total investment in the region to $5.8 million. Established in 2019, the fund responds to a growing demand for African solutions to African challenges, grounded in shared experiences. It supports stakeholder responses to mass atrocities and the implementation of the AUTJP in seven West African countries: Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Nigeria.
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