Vanessa Nakate to Open Giving Black Conference 2026 With Climate Justice Keynote
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India Vivek Maru is a social entrepreneur and human rights activist who has pioneered legal empowerment initiatives globally, transitioning from early work in rural development to founding Namati, an organization dedicated to democratizing access to justice.
Timap for Justice, co-founded by Vivek Maru, was recognized by the International Crisis Group for its work in advancing justice in post-conflict Sierra Leone.
Timap for Justice, co-founded by Vivek Maru, was recognized by Transparency International for advancing justice.
Timap for Justice, co-founded by Vivek Maru, was recognized by President Jimmy Carter for advancing justice.
From 2003 to 2007, Vivek co-founded and co-directed this Sierra Leonean organization, which has been recognized for advancing justice.
From 2008 to 2011, Vivek Maru served as senior counsel in the Justice Reform Group of the World Bank focusing on rule of law reform and governance.
In 1997-1998, Vivek Maru worked on rainwater conservation and girls’ education with this grassroots development organization in Kutch, India.
In 1997-1998, Vivek Maru worked on rainwater conservation and girls’ education with this grassroots development organization in Kutch, India.
Vivek Maru has co-taught the Legal Empowerment Leadership Course, co-hosted by Central European University and the Bernstein Center for Human Rights at New York University School of Law.
Vivek Maru has co-taught the Legal Empowerment Leadership Course, co-hosted by Central European University and the Bernstein Center for Human Rights at New York University School of Law.
Vivek Maru serves on the board of Renew New England, an organization pursuing a Green New Deal across that region.
Vivek Maru serves on the board of the Constitutional Accountability Center, which focuses on fulfilling the progressive promise of the U.S. constitution.
Vivek Maru serves on the advisory council for the Climate Justice Resilience Fund.
Vivek Maru was an affiliate expert with the UN Commission on Legal Empowerment.
Vivek Maru is a member of the global Task Force on Justice.
Vivek Maru received the Human Rights Global Treasure Award from Article 3 in 2023.
Namati received the Racial Equity 2030 Prize, a $20m award granted by the Kellogg Foundation and Lever for Change, in 2022.
Namati received the Racial Equity 2030 Prize, a $20m award granted by the Kellogg Foundation and Lever for Change, in 2022.
Namati Kenya received the Global Pluralism Award from the Global Centre for Pluralism in 2021.
Vivek Maru, co-named with Sonkita Conteh, Director of Namati Sierra Leone, received the Social Entrepreneurship of the Year Awardee from Schwab Foundation and the World Economic Forum in 2017.
Vivek Maru, co-named with Sonkita Conteh, Director of Namati Sierra Leone, received the Social Entrepreneurship of the Year Awardee from Schwab Foundation and the World Economic Forum in 2017.
Vivek Maru received the Skoll Awardee for Social Entrepreneurship from the Skoll Foundation in 2016.
Vivek Maru was recognized as a Legal Rebel by The American Bar Association in 2015.
Vivek Maru was recognized as an Ashoka Fellow in 2014.
Vivek Maru received the Pioneer Award from the North American South Asian Bar Association in 2008.
Vivek Maru studies and teaches capoeira at Universal Capoeira Angola Center.
Vivek Maru was a Finberg Fellow at Human Rights Watch from August 2001 to August 2002.
Vivek Maru’s career began with foundational work in rural development in Kutch, his native region in India, from 1997 to 1998. During this period, he focused on rainwater conservation and girls’ education, living in a traditional hut and collaborating with local grassroots organizations like Sahjeevan and Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan. Following his graduation from Harvard College, magna cum laude, and Yale Law School, Maru’s understanding of legal frameworks and their societal impact deepened. His undergraduate thesis, “Mohandas, Martin, and Malcolm on Violence, Culture, and Meaning,” reflected his early interest in social justice.
From 2003 to 2007, Maru co-founded and co-directed Timap for Justice, a Sierra Leonean organization recognized by the International Crisis Group, Transparency International, and President Jimmy Carter for its work in advancing justice within a weak state and plural legal system. This initiative laid the groundwork for his future endeavors. He subsequently served as senior counsel in the Justice Reform Group of the World Bank from 2008 to 2011, focusing on rule of law reform and governance, primarily in West Africa and South Asia. This role involved directing programs on community paralegals across several countries and developing the World Bank’s first global strategy for justice reform.
In 2011, Maru founded Namati, an organization dedicated to building a global movement for legal empowerment. Under his leadership, Namati and its partners have established networks of community paralegals in multiple countries, empowering communities to protect land rights, enforce environmental laws, and secure access to healthcare and citizenship. Maru is also a co-author of “Community Paralegals and the Pursuit of Justice” and his TED Talk, “How to Put the Power of Law in People’s Hands,” has garnered over a million views. He continues his commitment to justice through his work with Namati, his writing, and his teaching.
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