The Justicemakers Mela 2024, hosted by Agami, concluded successfully on November 30th, 2024, at the iconic Kushabhau Thakre Hall (formerly Minto Hall) in Bhopal. The two-day event brought together over 750 changemakers from across civil society, government, the judiciary, and industry, creating a dynamic space for dialogue, innovation, and collaboration aimed at transforming India’s law and justice ecosystem. Matam Manogna and Vaishali Singha represented One Future Collective at the Agami Mela this year.
Agami’s Justicemakers Mela revolved around three central themes: Nyay Shakti, Samadhaan, and Utthaan, which serve as guiding principles for justice reform. Nyay Shakti (Justice Power) speaks to the idea that true justice can only be achieved when individuals and communities are empowered to create solutions for themselves. From conflict resolution to affordable legal services, Nyay Shakti aims to reshape the justice landscape by tapping into the collective power of citizens and changemakers. Samadhaan (Resolution) emphasizes the importance of nurturing new models for conflict resolution. Traditional dispute resolution methods, rooted in community wisdom, were proposed alongside modern techniques, creating a culture of peaceful resolution and societal harmony. Utthaan (Rise) called for a regenerative, holistic approach to justice, where connection to self, community, and the planet plays a crucial role. It underscored the importance of sustainable practices and the need for systemic change that is rooted in respect for all forms of life.
The Mela sprawled into the gardens of Minto Hall, with demarcated spaces prepped to hold dialogue and learning, decorated with vibrant colours that welcomed one and all. The Book Nook, Baithak, Aangan, Begum Hall, and Makershala were some of the many such spaces. The Innovation Popup at the Mela featured over 30 innovative solutions from justice pioneers across India. These showcased creative approaches aimed at improving legal systems, enhancing accessibility and utilizing technology to streamline processes. From AI-driven tools to community-based legal services, the solutions on display illustrated the potential for both grassroots initiatives and cutting-edge technology to transform India’s justice landscape.
Snapshots from Sessions
One of the first sessions we sat through was Third Eye’s spoken word performance on the difference between samjhota (compromise) and samadhaan (resolution). It was built upon their resource Caseworkers’ Dictionary of Violence, which was created by caseworkers engaging with survivors of gender based violence. Most of the caseworkers who performed the differential impact of lived realities behind these words, were survivors of gender based violence and had received the aid that they now provide to others.
Mulling on the different facets of samjhota (compromise) as suffocation, as a contract, as a bargain, we reached to participate in the session on “E-filing system: Challenges to its Adoption,” which was to be conducted using a game. We were divided into different stakeholder groups, and some of us were given special character interests that had to sabotage the process for our personal interests, all the while coming together to a solution with consensus. Needless to say, there was no consensus, but all of us left the space learning exactly what kinds of tussles are at play when a new system is sought to be implemented.
We then moved towards “Koodam for Dialogue & Decision Making,” which promised to talk about traditional ways of building consensus in communities for collective action to be fruitful. Through this space we learned that consensus building requires time and patience–a capacity to go beyond the immediate identities and the personal interests we work towards. The facilitators, Raghu and Shayantan, spoke about the capacity to approach something as sacred, and defined sacred to be that something that enlivens you and can make you go beyond yourself. In our timebound sessions, we sought to apply this method to build consensus about how to tackle the problem of rising student suicides in law schools.
One of the sessions we would definitely like to highlight is the one with Sangeeta Iswaran, founder of Katradi. In her session, we learnt to engage ourselves in order to build connections with each other. She used play and dance to get the attendees to come together and learn about the ways we need to bond before being able to tackle any collective action issue.
Day 1 ended with the session discussing 24×7 Courts of Kerala to deal with the pendency issues and techno-legal innovations introduced by the court to get this going. Similarly, the next day, we listened to the work of Neha Dixit, an independent journalist, about the challenges faced by the sector in covering stories that matter rather than being focused on viewership.
Day 2 ended with listening to the struggles and victories of Uria Devi, a fisherwoman from Madhubani, Bihar, who is a powerful advocate for justice and equality in her community. Leading a courageous movement alongside fellow fisherwomen, she fought to reclaim their rightful access to the village ponds for fishing, challenging caste hierarchies and gender-based oppression.
‘Justice ka Dhaba’
One Future Collective participated in the Justice ka Dhaba session on Day 2, where we had the opportunity to discuss and share insights from our Digital Community Centre, which offers pro bono trauma-informed peer listening services and an affordable labour desk. We also had the pleasure of meeting organizations that have been part of the One Future Festivals, making the experience all the more warm and enriching.
A free helpline for people to call and be able to speak to someone and get peer listening support. The helpline will be in English and Hindi direct the calls to volunteers who have been trained to provide active listening and trauma-informed care.
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The Peer Listening Helpline
A paid digital helpdesk for individuals to be able to book consults with law students at subsidised prices to get legal advice. We will maintain case records and share case numbers with clients so that people can schedule follow-ups without having to repeat themselves. In case they require a lawyer to take on their case and represent them, they will be referred to our directory of lawyers based on their capacity to pay.
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The Labour Desk
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Our Takeaways from Agami Mela, 2024
The learnings we took away from the event were immense and transformative. We sat through sessions about conflict resolution, which highlighted the necessity to go beyond our personal immediate interests to be successful in combating a collective problem. We participated in game simulations to explore the competing interests of various stakeholders involved in the development of systems, such as the e-filing system for courts, and the challenges these systems face before they come to fruition—if they ever do. We listened to the experiences of people whose courage and life embodied justice-making. We witnessed the beauty and accessibility of having sign language interpreters be present in every session, and understood firsthand how intentional inclusivity enriches everything it touches.
Throughout the sessions, many profound insights were shared. In the face of the immense work of justice and the fatigue it often brings, one sentiment stands out: “Showing up is 90% of justice-making.” When solutions seem elusive, simply showing up becomes the first step. The lesson is clear: solutions often emerge as we navigate the process together, step by step, like a shared dance.
Having learnt so much and in such fun ways, we look forward to Agami’s next edition of the Justicemakers Mela!