This is a hybrid event. For attendance via Zoom, please register online.
On May 19 in WCC 3015, join us for a deep-dive workshop with Camilo Eduardo Umaña Hernández, former Deputy Minister of Justice of Colombia, as he presents his draft paper on pattern analysis as an investigative tool. This workshop will illuminate the methodological tools that Umaña developed during his work as researcher with the Colombian Truth Commission. He will offer practice-derived and comparative insights and guidelines on identifying systemic patterns and understanding their broader implications for justice and advocacy.
The draft paper that will serve as the foundation for the workshop will be uploaded [here]. We welcome your reflections and feedback during the session, whether you are attending in person or virtually through Zoom. An email address will also be included in the draft paper for those who prefer to submit written feedback.
Paper Abstract by Camilo Eduardo Umaña Hernández
While the concept of patterns is frequently invoked in human rights discourse, a clear and systematic approach to their identification and analysis has remained elusive. Various human rights initiatives have identified patterns in diverse analysis, but a comprehensive methodological framework is still needed.
Recently, this lacuna was confronted in the work of the Colombian Truth Commission, an institution tasked with clarifying the complex web of human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) that were perpetrated during the nation’s armed conflict. A critical component of its mandate was identifying and analyzing patterns within these violations. Yet, at the outset, there was a dearth of literature providing a robust methodological framework for such an endeavor. As part of the research team of the Truth Commission, I was committed to elucidating a methodological strategy that could assist its difficult work.
This paper discusses and incorporates practical reflections, together with a review of the international human rights literature aiming at addressing this gap. We will explore how human rights organizations have historically utilized pattern analysis, delve into the core concept of a pattern in the context of human rights violations, and outline key considerations for conducting pattern analysis of human rights violations. By providing a structured approach for methodological reflection on pattern analysis, this paper seeks to offer a tool for researchers to uncover systemic trends, strengthen advocacy efforts, and ultimately contribute to the pursuit of justice and accountability.
Speaker Bios
Camilo Eduardo Umaña Hernández served as Vice Minister of Justice in Colombia for two years, until October 2024. He is a Visiting Associate Professor at Brown University and a Graduate Research Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy of Harvard Kennedy School. Umaña holds PhDs in criminology and legal sociology.
Alicia Ely Yamin (moderator)currently is a Lecturer on Law and a Senior Fellow on Global Health and Rights at the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics at Harvard Law School; Adjunct Senior Lecturer on Health Policy and Management at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health; and Senior Advisor on Human Rights and Health Policy at the global health justice organization, Partners In Health. Yamin holds Juris Doctor and Master’s in Public Health degrees from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Law from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina.
This event is organized by HRP and cosponsored by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies and the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard Kennedy School.