Guyanese teens are finalists for 2015 Innovating Justice Challenge in The Hague

Three Guyanese-American siblings, Ima, Asha and Caleb Christian, who created the FIVE-O mobile app that allows citizens to rate, review and rank police officers, woke up to the uplifting news that their creation was selected as one of the three finalists for the 2015 Innovating Justice Challenge in The Hague, Netherlands.

The Christian siblings
The Christian siblings

‘Team Christian’ made it through a rigorous screening process and into the first round of the challenge, then onto a voting process in the second round where the top three scores and three wild card picks were chosen. The FIVE-O team emerged as one of the three wildcard picks.

The teens’ selection for the final round means that they will pitch their innovation at the Peace Palace in The Hague on December 3 and 4.

The winner of the challenge will receive the Innovating Justice Award 2015 in addition to which an investment of €20,000 will be made in taking the initiative to the next level.

The Innovating Justice Challenge is sponsored by the HiiL group, an advisory and research institute for the justice sector, based in The Hague. The Hiil group advocates the application of innovative approaches to help solve the global challenge of underperforming justice systems.

“It is an incredible honour to be chosen as an Innovating Justice finalists,” said one of the siblings, Asha Christian. “We are all excited to have this opportunity to visit the Peace Palace at The Hague and we feel humbled to be a part of the very important work of the Hiil group to make justice work all over the world.”

Only Asha and Caleb will be attending The Hague forum since Ima, the eldest of the trio, is currently away studying Computer Science at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.