Welcome the MHR Class of 2022: Verónica Cadavid González
Welcome Verónica Cadavid González to the Master of Human Rights class of 2022! Verónica is from Medellin, Colombia and plans to focus on economic, social, and cultural rights, along with international law during her graduate studies. Read below to learn more about her previous work and journey to Minnesota to join our MHR program!
Current member of the incoming MHR 2022 cohort Verónica Cadavid González is no stranger to the University of Minnesota and the Human Rights Program. Thanks to her participation in a human rights collaborative initiative that was set up between the University of Minnesota and Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Verónica was able to study with the Human Rights Program in Minnesota for the first time in 2014 as an undergraduate student. From that point on, Verónica knew she would be returning to Minnesota; she fell in love with the city and, perhaps more importantly, the people with whom she came into contact while at the U. Four years later, Verónica has been able to make her dream of studying Human Rights at the U a reality.
The now international human rights lawyer spent her time at the U four years ago as an intern at the Advocates for Human rights in their asylum and refugee program. Upon returning to Colombia and in continuance of the partnership between the University of Minnesota and the Universities in Antioquia, she worked on a report covering the current state of children’s rights; a project whose results would be sent to the United Nations. After graduation, she worked as a researcher for the Museo Casa de La Memoria located in Medellin, Colombia (Museum- House of Memory). This project, Verónica explains, was undertaken with the intent to serve as a form of social and psychological reparations for those who have been victimized by the decades-long armed conflict in Colombia. Veronica played an integral role in the execution of this project, working with victims in the collection of their stories and digging into research concerning the human rights violations that have characterized the armed conflict in Colombia.
It was through this work that Verónica came to the conclusion that the fight for justice in the field of human rights would require more than a law degree. This realization, along with her love for Minnesota and desire to study once again at the University of Minnesota, led her to the Master’s of Human Rights Program here at the U. She loves the uniqueness and specialized nature of the program, the high quality of the staff, and the diversity of its students. Verónica explains that, in the real world, human rights is a diverse and demanding field; in order to be successful in the fight for the realization and promotion of human rights, it is crucial that human rights workers understand the policy, laws, and advocacy work that characterize this field. As an MHR, Verónica believes that all of these elements are present in the coursework; that the design of the program reflects the complex realities of human right work. Veronica noted that having experienced staff members such as Barbara Frey, Janet Walsh, and Amelia Schindelar being so involved in the design and teaching of coursework makes a big difference as this hands-on involvement allows them to pass on their knowledge to students and support the next generation of human rights defenders.
Within the MHR, Verónica is specifically interested in studying economic, social, and cultural rights, along with international law. Additionally, she is interested in pursuing advocacy work as she understands human rights work to be multi-faceted and built upon the visualization of human rights abuses.
Due to COVID-19, Verónica has had to overcome various obstacles in her journey from Colombia to Minnesota in order to attend the MHR program. In addition to having to book a flight at a time when airports in Colombia were just opening back up after the government-mandated quarantine, Verónica, in order to get her visa, had to make the trip to her embassy that reopened just days before her flight to the United States. After finally obtaining her visa, having suffered various cancellations to her appointments, Veronica made the long trip to Minnesota and arrived in Minneapolis on Friday, September 25th.
While her journey to Minnesota was, without a doubt, challenging, Veronica was welcomed with open arms by MHR staff and fellow cohort members alike. More specifically, she has been welcomed with groceries, friendship, a special soda sold in Colombia, and stimulating conversations. Verónica says that her new friends help make Minnesota feel that much more like home. While she misses her family and the strong civil society with whose members she collaborated very closely in Colombia, Veronica feels at home in the MHR program and is extremely grateful and excited to be pursuing her dream of attending the UMN that was born four years ago during her undergraduate career.
