The Association for Legal Intervention (SIP) was established in 2005 by a group of young activists and lawyers. Since then, SIP evolved into a professional non-profit organization with the aim of helping and giving legal advice to people whose rights and freedoms are threatened and raising legal and civil awareness in society. Our focus is young people and those who cannot speak for themselves.
For example, SIP provides legal and social counseling for voluntary and forced migrants and asylum seekers; we represent our clients in courts and before administrative agencies. Our counseling is based on Association’s standards and is free of charge. Moreover, our organization develops and conducts trainings for professionals and groups of diverse cultural backgrounds, concerning young peoples’ rights and duties. We are also aimed at spreading the civil and law awareness in Polish society. We influence national and local public policy so that we see an improvement in the legal and social situation of marginalized social groups especially young people. Through conducting research and monitoring the application of the law and social policy, and presenting our opinions to bills we influence national and local state politics and institutions serving young people.
There are 5 people on the Board, 3 people on the Supervisory Board and 22 staff members.
In summary, SIP’s key goals are:
– human rights protection;
– counteracting marginalization and discrimination practices;
– supporting people who are threatened by marginalization or exclusion;
– providing our users (especially migrants, prisoners, children, adoptive families) with legal advice;
– raising law-awareness in the society.
We understand the provision of legal advice as a beginning of our support, not the aim. Legal assistance is just the first step: the goal is not only to support our users, but mostly lobbying for changes in practice through networking as well as improve legislation and policies. More importantly it is crucial to raising social awareness in order to improve the situation of the social groups we work with. Through our counseling and direct contact with our users, we are able to identify the most significant problems – both of legal nature (imperfections in constructing legal acts, incorrect implementation of the legislation) as well as of social nature (when legal institutions do not reach the goals set out by the lawmakers). Our experience is supplemented by different types of research and watchdog activities. We operate in frames of four sections – Foreigners’ Section, Family and Child Support Section, ‘Freedom’ Section and Mediation Centre.
For further infotmation, visit www.interwencjaprawna.pl
