Columns & Blogs

In Colombia, two strident sides tend to predominate: the private sector actors who refuse to talk about the issue and the critics who are suspicious of any business activity.

I asked people I knew what they thought and I realized that there was a gender difference. They told me "I would not hire a man. But I would hire a woman."

Some economic leaders and columnists have criticized our Increasing Accountability report. Beyond the conclusions that other readers may reach, I believe that a profound and dispassionate reading of the book shows that these criticisms do not have any basis.

Thanks to the Supreme Court of Justice's decision on the lawsuit filed by more than 1,700 campesinos who want to be counted in the 2018 population census, this group and the State once again sat down to talk.

Certainly one does not need to be a human rights activist to be able to shake someone’s hand. But it’s only a truly caring and grounded advocate who can write a set of policy recommendations and at the same time keep giving hope to the people s/he works with to make sure that all this does not become pointless in the end.

Globally, we live a new spring of hope, but also a new winter of despair. Despite advances in social welfare, the shadow of populism and the increase in inequality remind us that there are reasons to work for a better world.

Recently, Dejusticia received strong criticism for the publication of our Increasing Accountability report. In this column, I respond and discuss the complexities of the role of businesses during the armed conflict.

Several presidential candidates propose a justice reform; some have even said that they will hold a Constituent Assembly to achieve it. But beyond that, the candidates could discuss policies that would strengthen access to justice and the system's legitimacy.

The so-called “negativity bias” helped humans survive as a species, but today makes us excessively pessimistic. We must counteract the pessimistic biases and professionals that receive excessive attention and credit.

It's time to stop talking about leaders who are killed or threatened. It is entire communities who are affected when leaders are no longer present. Inevitably, this vulnerability opens the door for armed actors to settle in and take control of the territory.

Global South countries have an obligation to set pathways to find lost treasures in museums and private collections around the world. Therefore, it is essential that indigenous peoples are taken into account when determining the use and destination of the cultural material that has been expatriated for centuries.

The recent elections taught us that previous reforms have reduced a major problem we had in the late 1990s: extreme political fragmentation.