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18 January 2021
In this interview, Ely Cossio, currently enrolled in our MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law (MTJ), tells about the programme and life in Geneva
I’m Ely Cossio, from Quibdó, a city in western Colombia, on the Atrato River, in the Pacific coastal plain. I began my career in law at La Gran Colombia University and then pursued specialized studies in human rights and international humanitarian law at the Universidad Externado de Colombia, as well as an LLM at Duke University.
Before landing in this fantastic city and unique academic programme, I worked with the Colombian Truth Commission and the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF) in Washington DC. During my time with the Commission, I collected testimonies of victims of the Colombian armed conflict refugees in the United States. At DPLF, I supported the Impunity and Grave Human Rights Violations Programme, where I mostly provided technical assistance to civil society organizations to promote respect for human rights and to assess the experiences on reparations to victims of the civil war in El Salvador.
In my spear time, I will be drowned in a magical story of Haruki Murakami, or I’ll be doing some yoga or meditation. I love spending time with family and friends, cooking and dancing.
One characteristic feature of this programme is its interdisciplinarity. I was eager to learn about transitional justice (TJ) from a philosophical, health-psychological, sociological, and legal perspective. So far, the programme has exceeded my expectations and it has taken me out of my comfort zone, has challenged my critical thinking, and has helped me to learn and unlearn a variety of concepts in the field.
I enjoy the fact that I am surrounded by extremely talented people who come from different countries, and who turned out to become very special friends. The diversity of the MTJ and the multiplicity of professional backgrounds are what makes the classes more enriching. Besides, I appreciate the openness of our professors to discuss issues such as the role of TJ mechanisms to address events that are simultaneous of the past and present, such as slavery, and its impact in current times and generations.
I will recommend it without any doubt. If you are passionate about TJ and human rights, and if you are looking for a diverse environment where your knowledge and preconceived ideas will be constantly challenged, the MTJ at the Geneva Academy is the right place for you.
With COVID-19 and the uncertainty it brings, it seems almost fruitless to think about the future. Nevertheless, after I finish the programme, I expect to work either with international organizations or civil society actors that focus on the protection and promotion of the rights of victims affected by widespread human rights violations in different contexts.
The broken chair is a symbol of both fragility and strength, precariousness and stability, brutality and dignity. This symbol reminds me of the reasons why I decided to study and work on TJ and human rights. I think it is astounding to have a symbol that memorializes the civilian victims of anti-personnel mines in Geneva and at the same time, a symbol – particularly its legs – that makes me think of the importance of the four pillars of TJ (truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence), and the role they play in strengthening democracy and the rule of law, promoting and protecting human rights and the dignity of victims, and nurturing stability and durable resolution of conflicts.
News
Canva
In light of concerns about the dissemination of illegal content, disinformation and misinformation via online platforms and social media, our new Working Paper Regulatory Approaches to Online Harms and Human Rights: Three Case Studies discusses how to best place human rights at the centre of regulatory frameworks and legislation on online harms.
News
Geneva Academy
While applications with a scholarship for our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law just closed, interested candidates can still apply until 25 February without a scholarship.
Event
Brill
This event marks the launch of our LLM alumna Jelena Plamenac’s award-winning book ‘Unravelling Unlawful Confinement in Contemporary Armed Conflicts’ published by Brill.
Event
Markus Spiske, Unsplash
This online bilingual workshop, held in English and Italian, aims to raise awareness about the upcoming changes to the European Union (EU) seed marketing legislation and what this reform means in the Italian context.
Training
Dustan Woodhouse, Unplash
This training course will explore the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as with their implementation and enforcement mechanisms; and provide practical insights into the different UN human rights mechanisms pertinent to advancing environmental issues and protecting environmental human rights defenders.
Training
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.
Project
Project
Adam Cohn
This research project, aimed via the drafting of a practitioners’ guide on human rights and countering corruption, to clarify the conceptual relationship between human rights, good governance and anticorruption, demonstrate the negative impact of corruption on human rights and provide guidance and make practical recommendations for effectively using the UN human rights system in anti-corruption efforts.
Publication
