The Wisdom of Many Hands: How RAGJ Built Sustainable Justice from the Ground Up

In the newly published book Rooting for Change: Stories of Radical Education and Transformative Change, RAGJ’s chapter “The Wisdom of Many Hands” documents how locally led, community-driven justice work can generate lasting impact, even in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.

The chapter traces RAGJ’s evolution from a collective response to injustice into a structured, values-led organisation advancing legal empowerment, gender justice, and rights-based advocacy. It reflects on how participatory leadership, adaptive learning, and community accountability enabled RAGJ to remain effective during periods of crisis and institutional uncertainty.

Rather than relying on top-down solutions, RAGJ’s experience highlights the power of collective intelligence, trust, and shared responsibility in building systems that are both resilient and legitimate. The chapter illustrates how grounding strategies in lived realities strengthens governance outcomes and sustains impact over time.