Organizers and Sponsors

The Symposium will be made possible by the following organizations and their generous support: Corporación Execelencia en la Justicia, Fundación Paz y Bien, Fundación AlvarAlice, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, USAID, and Synergos Institute among others.

CORPORACION EXCELENCIA EN LA JUSTICIA is a private, non-profit organization based in Colombia that focuses on promoting the peace process and the improvement of the Colombian judiciary system, through social, cultural and institutional change. Members include universities, corporations and individuals dedicated to strengthening the justice system in Colombia.

FUNDACION PAZ Y BIEN is a non-governmental organization that provides social and humanitarian aid to the people of Cali, Colombia. Founded by the Franciscan Order of the Catholic Church in 1987, the central mission of the Paz y Bien is to help underprivileged and vulnerable social groups such as women, children, youth and their families through emergency aid and by promoting community self-management in areas of personal growth, education, training, conflict resolution, restorative
justice and economic development.

FUNDACION ALVARALICE is a non-profit foundation set up by members of the Garcés Echavarria family in memory of their parents, Alvaro Garcés Giraldo and Alice Echavarría Olózaga, and their civic spirit and commitment to Colombia’s social development. The Foundation is dedicated to improving the wellbeing and social fabric of Colombia through programs and alliances with other institutions focused on the areas of education, healthcare, housing, microfinance and job creation. It provides support for programs such as FUNDCOMA (Brain Trauma Foundation of Colombia) and entrepreneurial ventures for disadvantaged youth in Colombia. It also supports grass-root organizations such as Fundación Paz y Bien.

THE JAVERIANA UNIVERSITY CALI is a non-profit higher education institution, created and funded by the Jesuit Congregation of Colombia, with the purpose of contributing to the academic and humanistic enrichment of Colombians. As one of the leading private universities of the country, Javeriana University Cali belongs to a highly qualified network of universities located in the main urban centers of Colombia. The university offers a wide range of academic programs, with an emphasis on preserving and promoting learning within the context of Christian principles.

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) has supported programs in Colombia for almost forty years. The Agency works to promote effective justice systems, respect for fundamental human rights, stronger local governments, reduction of corruption in governments, as well as to strengthen social infrastructures through humanitarian aid to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. In this context, USAID has participated in specific projects such as the rebuilding of the coffee-growing region after the January 1999 earthquake in Armenia and Pereira, and the establishment of mechanisms to provide humanitarian aid for projects of children and environmental protection which are financed through the Americas Initiative.