In early August, Professor Raquel Aldana, American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative Latin America & Caribbean Council special advisor, traveled to the Nariño region of Colombia to help conduct a workshop for indigenous rural women. The workshop focused on land rights and self-determination. 

Aldana was part of a contingent of seven trainers, including recent UC Davis Law graduate Kari Peterson ’23, Sandra Morello and Efrain Cruz of ROLI Colombia and two representatives from the Defensoria del Pueblo (or the human rights ombudsman’s office in the region.)

Aldana wrote this about the trip:

The Nariño region of Colombia is in the Andes and borders Ecuador. It is a gorgeous landscape and several indigenous and Afro-Colombian groups inhabit the area. The Cumbal collective of Women – Renacientes (reborn) is comprised of an impressive inter-generational group of indigenous women who successfully recovered their lands and are now engaged in a process of ongoing resistance to preserve their lands and their culture, as well as to advance the rights of women.  Here is a short video about the collective narrated by Janneth Liliana Taimal, an indigenous anthropologist and community leader who organized the workshop in her own home and convened the group.

Read the full article from UC Davis School of Law website