4 2. 2015 Reflections from the Chairperson and Executive Director ZLHR Annual Report 2015 Throughout the year, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) continued to play a pivotal role in shaping the human rights and democracy discourse in Zimbabwe. Operations of the organisation were also influenced by the unpredictabe economic and political environment as well as related dynamics unfolding during the year. As a not-for-profit organisation, reliant on international, regional and local donations during a time of global and national upheaval, ZLHR faced dwindling financial resources that led to further streamlining and prioritisation of work. Nevertheless, interventions of the organisation remained grounded in the needs and demands of communities and other stakeholders, with lawyers and other secretariat members being seized with ever-increasing demand for its high quality professional legal services and other support for a range of stakeholders in the non-profit, commercial and governmental sectors. It was evident that fostering a culture of human rights is a long-term process that requires patience, commitment, and continuous reflection by ZLHR of its strategic approach. Engagement, negotiation and constructive confrontation (especially through litigation) remained relevant as transformation of key state institutions and other practices undermining the rule of law and human rights in Zimbabwe remained unresolved. ZLHR’s multi-pronged approach, sometimes neccesitated collaboration with like minded organisations, with ZLHR interacting with the legislature, some departments of government, and constitutional commissions. There were many victories in protection of fundamental human rights, and freedoms, including social and economic rights – especially through the courts. However, serious threats and challenges continued to affect human rights defenders championing their civil and political rights, who, in certain instances would have been completely removed from the ambit of the legal safety net without ZLHR’s intervention. In order to give life to the Constitution, the complementary interventions of litigation, advocacy, research and trainings effectively furthered the implementation of the four priority areas identified and adopted in ZLHR’s 2014-2018 Strategic Plan. ZLHR acknowledged the important role of an engaged citizenry, increasingly willing to be empowered and eager to defend the ‘Bill of Rights’ as well as other topical constitutional provisions. Recognising the divide between urban and rural communities in rights literacy, community engagements – through mobile legal clinics continued throughout the year, in most of the provinces of the country, and increasingly in outlying areas. Information dissemination through the weekly newsletter – the Legal Monitor, as well as press releases and information alerts remained necessary. This led to increased access to justice, with the direct and indirect beneficiaries of litigation trebling between 2013 and 2015. Indeed, important human rights legal precedents were set during the year under review. In order to achieve, its goals of legislative and institutional reforms – and as some state institutions at the forefront of human rights violations remained inaccessible for engagement-litigation proved to be vital throughout the year. Favourable court judgments were obtained on behalf of victims of torture although some of the awards had not been honoured by the end of the year. The delays in implementation of the legislative agenda affected ZLHR’s reform initiatives but did not necessarily hamper the research efforts as publications on law reform and other justice sector related themes were produced and informed ZLHR’s advocacy at the national level. ZLHR embraced opportunities presented by partners and other stakeholders at the regional and global level. The African Union and United Nations human rights mechanisms were vital platforms at which ZLHR could influence development of human rights standards that also shaped conversations on improving the rule of law in Zimbabwe and the SADC region. We remain humbled by the enduring support and confidence displayed by our beneficiaries, members of the community, partners and our stakeholders during 2015. While appreciating our funding partners’ and members’ support that anchored our work throughout the period, we remained seized with improving our sustainability in light of the global economic crunch and the deteriorating economic environment