Voices

"We must recognize women's struggles."

It is important to recognize women’s struggles and perspectives as fundamental components…if we fail to include women in the debates and strategies of social movements on immigration, aid and political economy it will be difficult to change the power structures and the domination that destroys the life and dignity of women.

"What can we do when justice fails us?"

We are documenting how narco-trafficking has infiltrated the halls of government…. What can we, as human rights lawyers, do when the foundation of the justice system is deteriorating, when organized crime infiltrates the higher commands of the police? We remain completely vulnerable. When we denounce these officers that violate human rights by torturing and through arbitrary arrest, we do not know if behind this is the head of a drug cartel.

"Finding justice for those who can no longer speak for themselves."

People in the human rights field tend to be highly sensitive to death. Successful human rights advocacy involves drawing attention to wrongful death and gross mistreatment of individuals, and is often accomplished by conveying an appalled reaction to such acts. In most senses, this response is appropriate; what is more serious than death? Yet in the forensic field, death is a given. Every case that a forensic specialist takes on involves a person that has died. Dark senses of humor abound in this profession, and initially during my transition I was surprised by the lack of emotional response conveyed by forensic anthropologists when in the face of traumatic death.

"We work for the love of our people."

We thought the government was responding negatively to the situation of displaced people, so we were obliged to organize ourselves. In AFRODES we do for ourselves what the state is supposed to do for us. We teach people how to get to Quibdó, how to contact the appropriate institutions, how to reclaim their rights as displaced people and as Afro-Colombians, and we also work for the return of their lands.

"¡Si se puede!"

Immigrating to this country was a drastic change for the whole family; it has been very difficult to adjust to a new, American lifestyle. It is extremely sad and frustrating to have to depend on someone else to look for a job, enroll in school, and even to go to the doctor, simply because one does not speak English or is not quite familiar with the social services of this country.

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"We must recognize women's struggles."

"What can we do when justice fails us?"

"Finding justice for those who can no longer speak for themselves."

"We work for the love of our people."

"¡Si se puede!"

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