During the week of February 20th, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative's (ABA ROLI) Vice Board Chair, the Honorable (Hon.) M. Margaret McKeown, Senior Judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals of the U.S., traveled to Colombia to meet with various judicial institutions, such as the Special Jurisdiction of Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz) and the Superior Judicial Council; to moderate a panel on Women in the Judiciary with a focus on US and Colombia perspectives; and attend an event in Riohacha, La Guajira to hear from the local community and provide an overview of ABA ROLI’s various programs and support in the country.
Attended by representatives of public institutions, indigenous authorities, civil society organizations, community leaders, ABA ROLI hosted an event in Riohacha, La Guajira on “Balance and projections of ABA ROLI in Colombia and La Guajira” to better illustrate our initiatives and impact in the country and La Guajira, a region affected by migration and access to justice challenges.
ABA ROLI's Program Director for Colombia and Peru, Stephanie Villaronga opened the event, and the Hon. M. Margaret McKeown followed up with remarks. In a moving speech, Hon. McKeown presented ABA ROLI’s current programs in Colombia, which aim to strengthen legal institutions, foster respect for human rights, and promote public understanding of the law and the rights of citizens.
For example, she highlighted ABA ROLI’s Women and Girls Empowered program, a global consortium to advance the status of women and girls, led by ABA ROLI in close partnership with the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), Grameen Foundation, and Search for Common Ground (Search). Specific to Colombia, Hon. McKeown highlighted ABA ROLI’s Conectando Caminos por los Derechos program, which provides services and opportunities for both Venezuelan migrants and returnees in Colombia, and the country’s anti-human trafficking programs, emphasizing one aimed at combatting trafficking in children and adolescents.