AJWS Blog
The AJWS community has a lot to say about what's happening in the world. Read our insights about the struggle for justice and human rights around the globe — and meet the activists on the frontlines of the fight to build a better world.
Guardians of Zoka: Inside the Fight to Save a Ugandan Rainforest
In the Adjumani district of Northern Uganda stands the Zoka Forest Reserve, one of the country’s magnificent rainforests. Its canopy provides shade to an extraordinarily biodiverse population. Rare butterflies, flying squirrels, primates, old-growth mahogany trees and hundreds of plant species make Zoka a place worth protecting at all costs. And to the native communities who …
Stories of Hope: December 2025
As we enter the season of light, many members of the AJWS community cannot escape feeling mired in darkness. But — taking inspiration from the name of this newsletter — we move forward in hope that our vision of human rights for the most oppressed will prevail. In that spirit, it’s a pleasure to be …
Legal Aid, Spiritual Healing: Meet Guatemala’s Indigenous Law Firm
The Guatemala City office of AJWS grantee Bufete para Pueblas Indígenas (BPI), or the Indigenous Law Firm, may look like most law offices: stacks of client files, a large conference table, bustling energy and coffee and tea perpetually brewing. But at BPI, there is more than meets the eye. “At other law firms, you’re not …
Fighting for — and winning — protection under the law: Landmark progress for LGBTQI+ Kenyans
In June 2019, Shieys Chepkosgei was arrested in Eldoret, Kenya, and charged with impersonating a woman. During her detention, police and prison officials subjected Chepkosgei to a battery of unlawful and invasive tests and examinations, all while ruthlessly mocking her identity as a trans woman. Chepkosgei refused to accept this abuse without fighting back. Upon …