Washington Office on Latin America

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

"Since 1975, when WOLA worked behind the scenes to write the first major legislation conditioning U.S. military aid abroad on human rights practices, WOLA has played a key role in all major Washington policy debates over human rights in Latin America. Today, WOLA staff are called upon regularly to provide information and analysis to the executive branch, to multilateral organizations, to members of Congress, and to U.S. and Latin American media." 

They are a member group of the International Drug Policy Consortium.

"On September 17, 2008, WOLA held its second annual beneft gala and human rights award ceremony. Secretary General of the Organization of American States José Miguel Insulza and US Senator Christopher J. Dodd were honored for their roles in forging a new kind of partnership between the US and Latin America. In addition, Francisco Goldman, author of “The Art of Political Murder,” won the frst annual WOLA-Duke Book Award for Human Rights in Latin America." 2008 Annual Report

"Civil Society Under Siege in Colombia"
"Civil Society Under Siege in Colombia" was report completed in February 2004. "This report is based on material gathered during and after a delegation visit to Colombia from February 14 to 20, 2003, organized by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), to evaluate the effects of the internal armed conflict on Colombian civil society. Virginia M. Bouvier, program officer for the Jennings Randolph Fellowship Program of the United States Institute of Peace and a specialist on Latin America, participated in the WOLA delegation, moderated a subsequent conference on Colombia on April 22, 2003 at the Institute, and researched and authored this report.

"Other delegation members included Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA); Charles Currie, President, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities; Kimberly Stanton, Deputy Director, WOLA; Eric Olson, Advocacy Director for the Americas, Amnesty Inter-national; Thomas Hoyt, President-elect, National Council of Churches; Steve Beckman, Assistant Director, Governmental and International Affairs Department, United Auto Workers; Saul Nieves, Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, New York; Roberto Pagan Rodriguez, President, Puerto Rican Workers' Union (SPT); Ellen Lutz, Executive Director, Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, The Fletcher School of Diplomacy, Tufts University; Cindy Buhl, Legislative Director, Office of Rep. McGovern; Jason Hagen, Associate for Colombia, WOLA; and Tina Hodges, Program Assistant for Mexico and the Andes, WOLA."

Funding
In 2008, foundation support came from: 2008 Annual Report


 * Atlantic Philanthropies
 * Heinrich Boll Foundation
 * Connect US Fund
 * Ford Foundation
 * General Service Foundation
 * Google Grants
 * W.K. Kellogg Foundation
 * Levi Strauss Foundation
 * Lippincott Foundation
 * John Merck Fund
 * John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
 * Moriah Fund
 * Stewart R. Mott Charitable Trust
 * Open Society Institute
 * Oxfam America
 * Christopher Reynolds Foundation
 * Tinker Foundation
 * Tula Foundation
 * Winky Foundation

Board
Accessed April 2010:


 * Vic Johnson - Chair of the Board
 * Cristina Eguizábal - Vice-Chair of the Board
 * Jay Schwartz - Treasurer of the Board
 * Steven Bennet
 * Leonor Blum
 * Oscar Chacón
 * John Coatsworth
 * Ernest Collazo
 * Margaret Crahan
 * Cristina Eguizábal
 * Joe Eldridge
 * Adriana Ermoli
 * Gary Fontana
 * Rachel Garst
 * Robert Goldman
 * Gordon Hanson
 * Margarita Kintz
 * Mark Murray
 * Janice O'Connell
 * Joy Olson
 * Morris Panner
 * Andrew Small (Participating Observer)
 * Lee Zeigler

Board of Directors (2007)

 * Charles L. Currie, SJ - Chair. Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
 * Mark Murray, Vice Chair. Cornerstone Government Affairs
 * Rachel Garst, Secretary-Treasurer. Coon Rapids/Whiterock Great Place Committee


 * Leonor Blum, College of Notre Dame of Maryland
 * Oscar Chacón, NALACC
 * Martin Coria - Church World Service
 * Ben Davis - AFL-CIO Solidarity Center
 * John Coatsworth - School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
 * Margaret Crahan - St. Edward's University
 * Cristina Eguizábal - Florida International University
 * Joe Eldridge - American University
 * Kathy Gille - Former Senior Adviser to the Democratic Whip
 * Bob Goldman - American University
 * Vic Johnson - NAFSA, Association of International Educators
 * Gabriela Lemus - League of United Latin American Citizens
 * Margarita Kintz - Austin, Texas
 * Morris Panner - OpenAir
 * Raquel Rodríguez - Evangelican Lutheran Church of America
 * Janice O'Connell - Washington, D.C.

Source

Staff
Accessed April 2010:


 * Joy Olson, Executive Director
 * Geoff Thale, Program Director (formerly Senior Associate for Central America and Cuba)
 * John M. Walsh, Senior Associate for the Andes and Drug Policy
 * Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli, Senior Associate for Colombia
 * Vicki Gass, Senior Associate for Rights and Development
 * Adriana Beltrán, Senior Associate for Citizen Security
 * Maureen Meyer, Associate for Mexico and Central America
 * Lori Piccolo, Development Director
 * Krystal Wubben, Director of Finance and Operations
 * Luke Horner, Development Associate
 * Lilia Lopez, Program Officer
 * Ashley Morse, Program Assistant
 * Colin Smith, Program Assistant
 * Anthony Dest
 * George Withers, Senior Fellow
 * Coletta A. Youngers, Senior Fellow,and Associate with the International Drug Policy Consortium
 * Rachel Neild, Senior Fellow
 * Laurie Freeman, Fellow
 * Connie McGuire, Fellow

Staff (2007)

 * Joy Olson - Executive Director
 * Geoff Thale - Program Director
 * Roger Atwood - Communications Director
 * Lori Piccolo - Development Director
 * Krystal Wubben - Operations Director
 * Andrew Small - U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (former WOLA board member)

Critical Articles

 * Adrienne Pine, "WOLA vs. Honduran Democracy: Pulse of the Planet", Counterpunch, April 12, 2010.

Contact
1630 Connecticut Ave, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20009 Phone: (202) 797-2171 Fax: (202) 797-2172 Web: http://www.wola.org; www.wolablog.typepad.com

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Arturo Porzecanski
 * Alexander W. Wilde
 * Diane La Voy
 * Svenja Blanke