Community Initiative Action Group Kenya

The Community Initiative Action Group Kenya (CIAG-K) is a human rights, social justice, and social policy organization founded in 2008. Focus: They work as a non-state agency and non-profit organization, dedicated to empowering communities and advocating for social change. Mission: CIAG-K's core mission is to empower communities, organizations, and social interest groups. Their aim is to transform societies for the benefit of the vulnerable and marginalized. Values: Their work is guided by principles of integrity, accountability, transparency, respect, diligence, and inclusivity. In essence, CIAG-K works to ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable are heard and that they have the r... read more The Community Initiative Action Group Kenya (CIAG-K) is a human rights, social justice, and social policy organization founded in 2008. Focus: They work as a non-state agency and non-profit organization, dedicated to empowering communities and advocating for social change. Mission: CIAG-K's core mission is to empower communities, organizations, and social interest groups. Their aim is to transform societies for the benefit of the vulnerable and marginalized. Values: Their work is guided by principles of integrity, accountability, transparency, respect, diligence, and inclusivity. In essence, CIAG-K works to ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable are heard and that they have the resources and support needed to claim their rights and improve their lives. To achieve its long-term goal and vision, CIAG-K theory of change therefore seeks focuses on three areas namely; (i) Influencing policy change: through strategic high-level engagement with duty bearers though round tables with Court users' committees County Assembly, Ministry of interior and coordination, and the Governor among others (ii) Promoting citizen engagement, action and empowerment: CIAG-K recognizes that low levels of awareness and ignorance among citizens on their rights, roles and responsibilities in the Access to justice and rule of law are major obstacles that limits the realization of the full benefits in the Constitution of Kenya 2010. This denies citizens opportunities to reap maximally with respect to legally and constitutionally available public participation spaces provided due to their limited capacity to hold their leaders accountable for their actions. CIAG has developed tools for community groups participation in Budget making processes across all the four key stages of formulation, approval, execution and oversight as strategy to link and visualize government priorities by following the money and hence easily rally community against critical issues. However very little attention has been given on access to justice sector and this is a gap that CIAG will be seeking to address (iii) Promoting transparency and accountability through establishment and strengthening the capacity of community structures: Engaging change agents that comprise community own resource persons (mobilizers and advocacy champions) trained and capacity build by CIAG to catalyse change. This involves application of social accountability tools to carry out social audits of development projects as mechanisms of improving service delivery and holding duty bearers to account. Capacity building the community lies at the heart of CIAG strategy right from enhancing access to information, organizing community to demand justice and journeying with community through social accountability tools has worked as a best practice in engaging with targeted groups. (iv) Use Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) to amplify the voices of the vulnerable and marginalized to demand and defend their rights: CIAG leverages on media platforms-both mainstream and social media to drive its advocacy and policy influencing agenda. (v) Using Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) as a strategy to in tackling access to justice challenges and accountability deficits: That underpins CIAG work where citizens' rights are at the centre of development as enshrined under the bill of rights in the constitution.