We call for immediate action to address the judicial crisis
The Center for the Study of the Law, Justice and Society (Dejusticia) and the Excellence in Justice Corporation (CEJ), call on the high courts and the Attorney General to take immediate measures of transparency to face corruption and restore public confidence in the judiciary.
Read MoreCase of indigenous people from Bojayá who could not vote in the plebiscite is about to reach the Court
An Emberá group claimed their rights to political participation and equality, because in light of their economic situation and geographic isolation, they could not vote on the Peace Agreement. Dejusticia, human rights organizations and indigenous leaders asked the High Court to review the case.
Read MoreFocal Points for a Global Conversation
Currently, there is a lot of hope in promoting the common points of a global agenda of indigenous peoples, which combines questions and actions on identity, land, and development. Here are some insights from my conversations with over 50 indigenous leaders from around the world.
Read More“Today, even Chavistas are persecuted in Venezuela”: Rafael Uzcátegui
The director of the Venezuelan NGO, Provea, visiting Colombia on invitation from Dejustica, speaks about the escape of prosecutor Luisa Ortega and the possibility of a new wave of protests in principal cities around the country.
Read MoreThe dark side of conservation
The conservation of nature and biodiversity is a legitimate goal, but what are the costs and power dynamics behind the traditional idea of “conservation”? Who is it benefiting and who is carrying the costs?
Read MoreThe civil rights of the families of missing persons need to be protected
Gloria Mansilla and her daughters await the ruling of the Constitutional Court against a ruling that did not allow them to keep a property acquired through a loan, before her husband and father Miguel Angel Diaz disappeared.
Read MoreOsamah, the Yemeni activist who has not seen reconciliation
El Colombiano, a newspaper in Medellín, interviewed Osama Al Fakih, a human rights defender from Yemen, who was part of our 5th Global Workshop. The event, held in August in Cali and Bogotá, brought 15 activists from around the world who debated the need to reopen civil society spaces to defend human rights.
Read MoreLos Guáimaros resist being forgotten
August 30th marks the 15th anniversary of the massacre in the village of Los Guáimaros, in Montes de María. Despite the cruelty of those 15 deaths and their impact, their story remains untold and no one knows who did it.
Read MoreThe Persistent Sediments of Mercury
The Minamata Convention, aimed at protecting our health and the environment from the ravages of mercury pollution just entered into force, but if it is to make a difference at all, we must demand that its implementation be measured in terms of the quality of life and health conditions of those at risk of exposure.
Read MoreThe Agreements for the Substitution of Illicit Crops must have a gender perspective
GPaz and Dejusticia presented contributions for the inclusion of the gender approach in the route to the formulation and implementation of Collective Agreements within the framework of the National Comprehensive Substitution Plan.
Read MoreSpace
In Colombia we are parochial and self-absorbed. We need a way of dealing with our individual and social smallness, other than religion, maximalist ideology or contempt for others.
Read MoreIt is not enough to say “no”
Given the inability of the national government to organize development in order to make mining compatible with the environment and other economies, popular consultations are a democratic step to try to do so.
Read MoreInnovative approaches to the drug problem and imprisonment
The experiences of Uruguay, Costa Rica and Ecuador show that it is possible and useful to apply innovative approaches to drug-related incarceration. However, they also highlight the limits of these programs and their failure to prevent further criminal activity.
Read MoreTime
We live between the frenetic present of political activity and the unattainable future of preachers, without any of these time frames allowing us to anticipate the country that we will have in three or four decades.
Read MoreInnocence and jail
Not all people who have been deprived of their liberty should have been in prison in the first place. In 2013, for example, the State Legal Defense Agency was handling 13,385 lawsuits for unjust deprivation of liberty.
Read MoreTaking religion seriously
The results of the plebiscite to approve the Peace Agreement showed us that it is time to take religion seriously and to dispute the right’s political predominance in spiritual matters.
Read MoreHow is the implementation of the Agreement on Victims going?
Despite the setbacks, the Transitional Justice System is already working. However, the sustainability of the process will depend on the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the proper processing of amnesties.
Read MoreAsbestos: the unpunished killer
Latin American countries need to strengthen both their legislation and access to justice mechanisms, particularly those involving civil and consumer rights, in order to stop the use of asbestos and similarly harmful substances.
Read MoreThe example of teachers
The university does not only have the task of preparing good professionals, but of forming honest citizens, and teachers are key in that mission. The book Academy and Citizenship explores the fulfillment of academic and citizenship standards by teachers in Antioquia.
Read MoreHacked
Governments have taken advantage of a legal and informative vacuum to turn their critics’ cell phones into surveillance devices. It is essential to update the legislation and require government entities to disclose how they use electronic surveillance systems.
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