The Southern African Legal Assistance Network (SALAN) was initiated in 1994. SALAN is a network of eleven non-profit, non-governmental organisations in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region that advocate for the rights of the poor, disadvantaged and marginalised. Since its inception it has provided support to its member organisations by sharing information, providing internships and exchanging skills and expertise.

The SALAN members are: LRC (South Africa), Black Sash (South Africa), Ditshwanelo (Botswana), Legal Assistance Centre (Namibia), Legal Resources Foundation (Zambia), Legal Resources Foundation (Zimbabwe), Legal Mocambique Dos Direitos Humanos (Mocambique), Malawi Centre for Advice, Research & Education on Rights (Malawi), Zambia Civic Education Association (Zambia), Zanzibar Legal Services Centre (Zanzibar), and Legal and Human Rights Centre (Tanzania). The LRC was one of the founding members of SALAN.

SALAN has the following objectives:

• To address public interest issues through legal means
• To promote and protect human rights
• To advocate for law reform and policy change
• To facilitate information sharing
• To facilitate capacity building within the network
• To foster collaboration on projects

SALAN is a network in Southern Africa that has a proven track record of ensuring access to justice, cultivating Human Rights and promoting a culture of good governance. It has embarked upon a concerted regional effort to ensure that these deeply held principles are situated centrally in the reality of every Southern African society through:

• Providing legal services
• Engaging in public legal education
• Participating in law reform and policy change
• Undertaking public interest litigation