If we consider the literal translation of ‘legal action’ it seems at odds with community involvement. But nothing could be further from the truth. A legal action group is an important part of a community organisation. They have the responsibility of researching and writing policies, procedural documents and reports related to the sector or issue they are covering. This might be in the form of research papers, white papers, policy papers, consultation submissions to government, or related documents.
The question then is how legal action group training fits in?
The term ‘legal action’ describes individuals participating in collective organisation processes intended to take issues of justice through formal legal processes. Which is another way of saying it is a structured process designed to lobby for change. Part of participating in this type of emboldened process requires knowledge and understanding of current legal frameworks, regulatory structures, lobbying practices and what an ‘action’ might look like to push for change. All of these aspects make up the training for a Legal Action Group.
Legal action group training can be used in any number of cultural settings. The preservation of culture, its advancement and evolution, has been made possible in many communities because of legal actions and advocacy training. In the context of Indigenous culture, this could look like:
Taking that a step further, legal action group training can empower any number of culturally diverse groups:
Aspects of culture will always evolve to better consider new ways to progress societal function. The positive impact of legal action group training is that many people have the confidence to act – to do something to bring about change within their community and to preserve their culture.
What makes the impact of this kind of training so profound is that it has the ability to be both national and local in its reach. When communities who participate in legal action group training are empowered to act, for example, they advocate on a local level. When they take the lessons they learn in this kind of training to the streets, even at times translating them into new languages, they are advocating on a national level. They are participating in a culture that allows for the empowerment of individuals to take action.
When individuals are empowered to take action they change the narrative. They change the perceptions of an issue. And this can be done as a local group, or on a larger scale. This is why there are training programs and why these programs exist.
There are myriad ways in which legal action group training helps individuals and groups. This training is about joining those that have come before – those who have learned, shared, and gone ahead to make a difference. It is also about learning to make an impact.
Some common skills one might gain through legal action group training include:
It may come as no surprise to hear that technology has a growing role in legal training. A long standing adversary of face to face communication, technology has changed the way legal training, and group training overall, has evolved in recent years. One of the most exciting uses of technology is that of online training modules. This means groups can set aside the time that works best for them – train at their own pace, change the way the group is training. It has transformed the experience in ways that promote technology, but also have cultural impact. Imagine being an Indigenous family who can’t get the time off work to participate in all day training, or even get to a training location. With online training you have the ability to participate in a way that complements your day.
Take this to a global and regional level, and the liberation of cultural evolution adds another layer to the benefits technology offers to legal action group training.
We have some good practices when it comes to training and legal action group training, although these are not necessarily company exclusive.
The world over, there is a growing awareness that legal training is embedded in culture and local function. As a part of participatory democracy, legal training moves beyond the four walls of a training room. And actually does the work of creating a social impact.
In any community, culture is a driver of change. And legal training, particularly legal action group training, is a tool that can be used to promote and uphold the values, traditions and norms of culture, while also advocating for change.
For more information on the importance of legal training in community advocacy, you can visit Wikipedia.
