Conversations with Young Justice Leaders

S1E4 - Know Law, Use Law, Shape Law: Vivek Maru on Legal Empowerment

EPISODE NOTES ** In this fourth episode of Conversations with Young Justice Leaders, Abbas Luyombo interviews Vivek Maru, CEO and co-founder of Namati, an organization advancing social and environmental justice by combining the power of law with the power of people. Vivek shares the origin of his work, from nearly dropping out of law school to moving to post-war Sierra Leone, where he discovered that community paralegals could help ordinary people win real justice from broken systems. He explains Namati's model of "legal empowerment" and the cycle of “know law, use law, and shape law,” illustrated through the story of Mrs. Jallow, a woman who couldn't read or write but led her community to reverse a 75,000-acre illegal land grab by a European oil palm company. Vivek also discusses the chronic underfunding of the demand side of justice, how solidarity and networks keep frontline advocates safe in shrinking civic spaces, and why he believes young people have the power to fix what is broken. The conversation closes with reflections on AI-powered legal tools, the Grassroots Justice Network, and a vision of a justice system truly of, by, and for the people. Find the transcript below. Links to initiatives mentioned in the episode: * Namati [https://namati.org/] * Grassroots Justice Network [https://grassrootsjustice.net/] * Global Witness — Environmental Defenders [https://www.globalwitness.org/] * Freedom House Democracy Index [https://freedomhouse.org/] * Vivek Maru's TED Talk — Putting the Power of Law in People's Hands [https://www.ted.com/] Learn more about the Young Justice Leaders here [https://claude.ai/chat/ab682cc6-c1d7-472f-80df-c973d9cee47b#]. ## The Conversations with Young Justice Leaders podcast is hosted by the Young Justice Leaders, a group of young changemakers from across the globe who represent young and innovative voices and are influencing international dialogues and research around justice. * For more, visit the podcast on our website here [https://claude.ai/chat/ab682cc6-c1d7-472f-80df-c973d9cee47b#] . * Subscribe to get updates on our latest episodes, events, and resources. The Young Justice Leaders is a project of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere else you subscribe to podcasts! Credits: This episode was produced by Leah Guyot, and editorial support was provided by Thibault Chareton, Symphony Chau, and Catherine Wang. Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/conversations-with-young-justi/206ec5a4/know-law-use-law-shape-law-vivek-maru-on-legal-empowerment/transcript] ----------------------------------------

S1E3 - Where You're From Doesn't Dictate Who You Are: Rondo Bonilla's Story

EPISODE NOTES In this third episode of Conversations with Young Justice Leaders, Anoushka Sinha interviews Michael "Rondo" Bonilla, co-chair of the Future Shapers Council at Reform Alliance and Gen Z justice organizer. Rondo discusses his transformative journey from spending 19.5 months at Rikers Island as a teenager to becoming a national voice for criminal justice reform. He explains how justice work "chose him" through programs like Fatherless No More [https://fatherlessnomoreinst.org/] and ThreeSixty [https://www.threesixty.org/our-impact] while incarcerated, and how speaking at Michael Rubin's house in front of influencers made his work personal. Rondo emphasizes that a great majority of crimes stem from poverty and that young people need rehabilitation before incarceration, not after. The conversation covers the reality of technical violations that send 200,000-300,000 people back to jail yearly for non-criminal infractions, the importance of personal time to avoid burnout, and his vision for dismantling the $300 billion mass incarceration system. Rondo shares powerful advice for young leaders: "Do work you would do for free: that's how you know you're passion-driven." Find the transcript below. Links to initiatives mentioned in the episode: * Learn more about Reform Alliance [https://reformalliance.com/] * Learn about the Future Shapers Advisory Council [https://reformalliance.com/futureshapersnetwork/] * Get involved in the 2026 Gen Z Week of Action [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xOA7oEpCext8u6deej-Wpy38zwgGAWotV50ExGpiYjg/edit?tab=t.0] * Learn about the Safer Supervision Act [https://www.safersupervision.com/] * Connect with Rondo's work: michael.bonilla@reformalliance.com [Michael.Bonilla@reformalliance.com] This podcast is a project of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies at the NYU Center on International Cooperation. This episode was produced by Leah Guyot, and editorial support was provided by Thibault Chareton, Symphony Chau, and Catherine Wang. Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/conversations-with-young-justi/1c259e5d/where-you-re-from-doesn-t-dictate-who-you-are-rondo-bonilla-s-story/transcript] ----------------------------------------

How can young women and feminist policies drive peace and justice?

EPISODE NOTES In this second episode of Conversations with Young Justice Leaders, Anoushka Sinha interviews Tonni Ann Brodber, Head of Secretariat at the Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). In this interview, Tonni discusses the role of young women and intergenerational collaboration in driving peace and justice. She highlights the importance of funding and supporting women-led movements, emphasizing systemic changes needed for gender parity in decision-making. She then offers advice to young activists, urging them to find solidarity, reflect on their actions, and take care of their well-being while advocating for change. The Conversations with Young Justice Leaders podcast [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/podcast/] is hosted by the Young Justice Leaders [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/], a group of young changemakers from across the globe who represent young and innovative voices and are influencing international dialogues and research around justice. * For more, visit the podcast on our website here [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/podcast/]. * Subscribe [https://mailchi.mp/sdg16/yjlpodcast] to get updates on our latest episodes, events, and resources. The Young Justice Leaders is a project of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies [https://sdg16.plus/] at the Center on International Cooperation [https://cic.nyu.edu/] at New York University. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-young-justice-leaders/id1808940454], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa6fceb7-c49f-4a87-b376-fa9fe0f5e06f/conversations-with-young-justice-leaders], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1w0F5OJ34TJWNZeRCN2J17], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9Xp7DYZRYHTWhs4m4n2wcOw4XgFsI36], or anywhere else you subscribe to podcasts! Credits: This episode was produced by Leah Guyot, and editorial support provided by Thibault Chareton, Symphony Chau, Catherine Wang, and Grace Hulseman. Music © / Adobe Stock. Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/conversations-with-young-justi/b4bedbf8/how-can-young-women-and-feminist-policies-drive-peace-and-justice-/transcript] ----------------------------------------

S1E2 - Defending Justice in an Age of Autocracy: A Conversation with UN Special Rapporteur Meg Satterthwaite

EPISODE NOTES In this second episode of Conversations with Young Justice Leaders, Grace Hulseman interviews Meg Satterthwaite, Professor of Law at New York University and United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. In this interview, Meg discusses her formative experience working on Haiti's Truth and Justice Commission in 1995, which inspired her to pursue law school. She explains her current role as UN Special Rapporteur and identifies the global trend of "autocratization" as the greatest threat to judicial independence today. Meg emphasizes that protecting judicial independence isn't just about judges: it's about ensuring everyone's right to fair and impartial justice. The conversation also covers mental health challenges in human rights work, the importance of self-care, and practical career advice for young professionals navigating funding cuts in the sector.  Find the transcript here [https://www.sdg16.plus/resources/episode-2-defending-justice-in-an-age-of-autocracy/]. Links to initiatives mentioned in the episode: * World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index [https://worldjusticeproject.org/rule-of-law-index/]  * Find out more about jailhouse lawyer [https://www.law.nyu.edu/centers/bernstein-institute/legal_empowerment/jailhouse_lawyers]s * Find out more about Meg’s work as a Special Rapporteur  [https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-independence-of-judges-and-lawyers/ms-margaret-satterthwaite] * Find out more about Meg’s work at New York University  [https://its.law.nyu.edu/facultyprofiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=profile.overview&personid=22544] Learn more about the Young Justice Leaders here [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/]. The Conversations with Young Justice Leaders podcast [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/podcast/] is hosted by the Young Justice Leaders [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/], a group of young changemakers from across the globe who represent young and innovative voices and are influencing international dialogues and research around justice. * For more, visit the podcast on our website here [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/podcast/]. * Subscribe [https://mailchi.mp/sdg16/yjlpodcast] to get updates on our latest episodes, events, and resources. The Young Justice Leaders is a project of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies [https://sdg16.plus] at the Center on International Cooperation [https://cic.nyu.edu] at New York University. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-young-justice-leaders/id1808940454], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa6fceb7-c49f-4a87-b376-fa9fe0f5e06f/conversations-with-young-justice-leaders], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1w0F5OJ34TJWNZeRCN2J17], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9Xp7DYZRYHTWhs4m4n2wcOw4XgFsI36], or anywhere else you subscribe to podcasts! Credits: This episode was produced by Leah Guyot, and editorial support provided by Thibault Chareton, Symphony Chau, Catherine Wang, and Grace Hulseman. Music © / Adobe Stock. Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/conversations-with-young-justi/743f93c8/defending-justice-in-an-age-of-autocracy-a-conversation-with-un-special-rapporteur-meg-satterthwaite/transcript] ----------------------------------------

S1E1 - From Argentina to the World: Maria Fernanda Rodriguez’s Journey

In this first episode of Conversations with Young Justice Leaders, Eva Langbehn [https://cic.nyu.edu/people/eva-langbehn/] interviews María Fernanda Rodríguez [https://cic.nyu.edu/people/maria-fernanda-rodriguez/], Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation and Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the Iberoamerican Alliance on Access to Justice. In this interview, Maria Fernanda discusses what drew her to the justice field, and describes herself as having an "intolerance for injustice" since childhood, along with a familial background that instilled in her a strong sense of social responsibility. She saw firsthand how the justice system often fails vulnerable populations, particularly women and highlights her work on expanding access to justice in remote regions. She also discusses the Latin American context, its challenges and opportunities, and the important role of civil society and youth in driving change. This episode was conducted in Spanish, with a dubbed version of the episode coming soon. The full Spanish transcript can be found on our website [http://www.sdg16.plus/resources/ep-1-from-argentina-to-the-world/]. * Learn more about the Young Justice Leaders here [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/]. * Learn more about the Ibero American Alliance for Access to Justice here [https://www.sdg16.plus/ibero-american-alliance/] The Conversations with Young Justice Leaders podcast [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/podcast/] is hosted by the Young Justice Leaders [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/], a group of young changemakers from across the globe who represent young and innovative voices and are influencing international dialogues and research around justice. * For more, visit the podcast on our website here [https://www.sdg16.plus/young-justice-leaders/podcast/]. * Subscribe [https://mailchi.mp/sdg16/yjlpodcast] to get updates on our latest episodes, events, and resources. The Young Justice Leaders is a project of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies [https://sdg16.plus] at the Center on International Cooperation [https://cic.nyu.edu] at New York University. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-young-justice-leaders/id1808940454], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa6fceb7-c49f-4a87-b376-fa9fe0f5e06f/conversations-with-young-justice-leaders], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1w0F5OJ34TJWNZeRCN2J17], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9Xp7DYZRYHTWhs4m4n2wcOw4XgFsI36], or anywhere else you subscribe to podcasts! Credits: This episode was produced by Leah Guyot, and editorial support provided by Thibault Chareton, Symphony Chau, Catherine Wang, Laura Ospina, Mercedes Correa Sarravia, and Eva Langbehn. With thanks to Daniela Cantillo for lending her voice to the Spanish-language introduction and closing. Music © / Adobe Stock. Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/conversations-with-young-justi/d646f053/from-argentina-to-the-world-maria-fernanda-rodriguez-s-journey/transcript] ----------------------------------------