“The power of the people — that’s what gives me hope”
When Saranel Benjamin stepped into the role of the Executive Director at Systemic Justice, she brought with her a lifetime of decolonial activism, shaped by the lived experience in South Africa’s apartheid, leadership roles at Mama Cash and Oxfam GB, and a deep belief in the power of communities to create systemic change. We sat […]
Growing together in a time of change: reflections from our autumn team retreat
This year’s autumn retreat gave us the space to reconnect, meet each other in person, and come together during an important phase of transition at Systemic Justice. A real highlight was spending time with our new Executive Director, Saranel. Although most of us had already met in person before, the retreat offered the perfect setting […]
Why I am excited to be part of Systemic Justice
I’m delighted to have joined Systemic Justice in July 2025 as its new Head of Legal. Following on from the organisation’s inaugural Head of Legal, Jonathan McCully, I have big shoes to fill. Luckily, I was given a gracious handover period and have been warmly welcomed and very well supported by everyone at Systemic Justice […]
A Warm Sendoff for our Head of Legal, Jonathan McCully
Like many great ideas, the conceptualisation of Systemic Justice started on the back of a cocktail napkin. It was February 2020, and Jonathan and I had just parted ways for the evening with the participants of the Digital Freedom Fund’s third annual strategy meeting. We went to grab a drink at Victoria Bar on Potsdamer […]
Reclaiming Climate Justice Summit: building our collective power as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour climate justice activists
“Togetherness.” “Sunshine.” “Community care.” “That we are powerful.” These are some of the responses participants shared on what they were grateful for as they were leaving the Reclaiming Climate Justice Summit, which we had the pleasure of hosting by the Danish coast in the third week of October. Over the course of 3 days, 23 […]
Our litigation work: let’s talk about money
One of the obstacles to bringing court cases can be financial. Getting legal advice can be expensive due to lawyers’ fees, and what bringing an actual case costs – collecting evidence, attending hearings, paying court fees – can be difficult to oversee. This applies all the more when you are looking at using litigation strategically, […]