Avoiding Harm, Sharing Responsibility: Human Rights and U.S. Counternarcotics Policy
The purpose of this grant is to implement activities to educate policymakers and the public to construct more humane and effective U.S. policy responses to the problems created by drug violence in Latin America. These activities focus on Mexico and Colombia, although they also touch on policies towards other Latin American countries. LAWGEF aims to expand attention to the adoption of less harmful and more productive policies that address U.S. responsibilities, such as drug treatment and curbing the "iron river" of firearms flowing across our southern border. It promotes reduced reliance on policies such as aerial spraying and the open-ended use of the military in public security. It works to improve more promising existing U.S. assistance programs, such as judicial reform and alternative development. Finally, it seeks to insert human rights into the debate and the practice of U.S. counterdrug policy.