Vance Center Co-Executive Director Jaime Chávez Alor, right, and Centro Mexicano Pro Bono founder Ivette Montero during the keynote panel “Global Trends in Pro Bono,” at the Centro Mexicano Pro Bono’s annual event in Mexico City, April 28, 2026. Photo credit: Centro Mexicano Pro Bono On April 28, the Vance Center participated in “Pro Bono Convening 2026: Challenges, Vision, and Action to Strengthen the Third Sector in Mexico,” organized by Mexican clearinghouse and Pro Bono Network of the Americas member Centro Mexicano Pro Bono. This year’s edition of the annual gathering brought together lawyers representing companies, pro bono clearinghouses, and... read more
Post tagged in "civic space"
Vance Center Participates in University of Dayton’s Social Practice of Human Rights Conference
Posted on April 16, 2026On April 9, the Vance Center’s Director of Africa Initiatives Adaobi Egboka moderated a roundtable event during the Social Practice of Human Rights Conference, a biennial hybrid event organized by the University of Dayton Human Rights Center. The virtual session, “Pro Bono Pathways to Strengthen the Application and Impact of International Law,” examined how pro bono and international human rights law can support civil society organizations facing restrictions on their work, drawing on concrete examples from Africa and the Americas. This year’s conference centered on the theme “Creative Resistance – Artivism, Technology and the Right to Dissent,” bringing together scholars, activists,... read more
Vance Center Participates in 85th African Commission Session in Banjul
Posted on October 29, 2025The Vance Center’s Adaobi Egboka, center, with speakers at the African Commission side event, “The role of African Human Rights Institutions in Responding to the Intensifying Crackdown on Civil Liberties and Human Rights Defenders ahead of Elections in East Africa,” in Banjul, The Gambia, October 23, 2025. Photo credit: Vance Center Adaobi Egboka, the Vance Center’s Director, Africa Initiatives, arrived in Banjul several days before the session began to engage with various forums preceding the session. These early events included the NGO Forum, from October 17-19, which brings together representatives of local and international NGOs to share updates on their... read more
Vance Center Joins UNGA Side Event on Strengthening Democratic Foundations in Africa
Posted on October 1, 2025Presenters at the September 18 event, L-R: speaker Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, Nigerian economic policy expert and co-founder of Transparency International; moderator Adaobi Egboka; panelist Bodunrin Joseph Adebo; panelist Ashley Law; panelist Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi; and KDI Team Lead Bukola Idowu. Photo credit: KDI On September 18, Adaobi Egboka, Director, Africa Initiatives participated in “Strengthening Democratic Foundations in Africa: From Old to Emerging Forms of Cooperation,” a high-level conference alongside the 80th UN General Assembly in New York. The event was organized by Vance Center client and partner Kimpact Development Initiative, a research and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to advancing democratic governance.... read more
Vance Center Hosts “Fundamental Dilemmas” Dialogue Addressing Guatemala’s Political and Economic Challenges
Posted on September 19, 2025L-R: Speakers Dulce Veras, Juan Pappier, Yara Tobar, Jaime Chávez Alor, Aloysia Huynh Sonnet, and moderator Daniel Haering. Photo credit: Vance Center On September 16, 2025, the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice hosted a lively panel discussion, “Fundamental Dilemmas: Guatemala’s Democratic Challenge 2026 as a Basis for National Transformation.” The conversation brought together civil society leaders, business representatives, and international experts to examine Guatemala’s institutional landscape ahead of scheduled appointments to six critical positions, including in the Attorney General’s Office, the Constitutional Court, and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. The event was part of “Fundamental Dilemmas,” a multisectoral initiative... read more
Vance Center Participates in IACHR Hearing on New Law Restricting Civil Society in Peru
Posted on July 30, 2025Vance Center staff and representatives of other civil society organizations, representatives of the Peruvian State, and IACHR Commissioners, participate in the hearing, July 21, 2025. Screenshot of hearing. Program Advisor Milena Klimberg van Marrewijk joined Peruvian and international human rights organizations, as well as victims and relatives of victims of human rights violations in Peru, to raise concerns about the threats to human rights posed by Law No. 32301, also known as the APCI Law. The new legislation, passed in April 2025, modifies the law that created the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI). In April, the Vance Center signed on to... read more