our Network
JGG NETWORK
JGG HEAD OFFICE
KIMBERLY INKSATER
KIMBERLY INKSATER
(JGG Executive Director)
Kimberly Inksater is the Canadian founder and executive director of the Just Governance Group. Ms. Inksater is an internationally recognized expert in human rights, justice reform, legal pluralism, gender equality, and conflict and security. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Toronto, a Master of Laws degree from the University of Ottawa, a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from the University of Ottawa, and certificates in conflict and security. Ms.Inksater has been working in international development for over 27 years, the last 15 years of which she has worked as an international consultant, primarily in the Americas (Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and countries affected by conflict or in transition (China, Palestine, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam).
As the Just Governance Group executive director, Ms. Inksater has worked as a consultant to multilateral institutions, European and Canadian development agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Prior to founding JGG with colleagues from Latin America, she worked with international missions, including the United Nations Verification Mission to Guatemala and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Bosnia-Herzegovina. She also worked in the policy and legal departments at the Ontario Human Rights Commission for three years.
TINA Chandler
University of Ottawa Internship Program
NETWORK CONSULTANTS
CARMEN BEATRIZ RUIZ
CARMEN BEATRIZ RUIZ
JGG Consultant, Bolivia Network Contact
Carmen Beatriz Ruiz is a Bolivian specialist in social communications, anthropology, human rights, women's rights, democratic citizenship and cultural diversity. She has extensive experience in institutional management and planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Ms.Ruiz holds a Masters of Social Sciences degree in Anthropology from the Universidad de la Cordillera, La Paz and a Bachelor of Communication Sciences degree from the Catholic University of Bolivia, as well as diplomas in Conflict Resolution and Executive Management in Ombudsman Institutions.
A former deputy ombudsman for Bolivia, Ms.Ruiz has over 25 years of experience in innovative human rights promotion initiatives with non-governmental women's and rural developmentorganizations, a community radio station, and social communications departments in the ministries responsible for gender affairs and for education. She has experience in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua and El Salvador. She is currently a Just Governance Group consultant and research associate at the Institute for Rural Development in South America.
CARLOS HERZ
CARLOS HERZ
JGG Consultant, Peru Network Contact
Carlos Herz Sáenz is a Peruvian expert with basic training in anthropology and communication, masters in anthropology and public management, and a doctorate in Andean studies. He has experience andspecialization in management and participatory planning of local development with emphasis on environment, decentralization, institutional strengthening, governance, interculturality, social public policies and socio-environmental conflicts, mainly in rural and Andean rural communities and rural municipalities. With more than 25 years of experience in management, planning, monitoring, evaluation and systematization of projects in NGOs, cooperation agencies, international, and governmentalorganizations.
In the last 20 years, Mr.Herz has participated in programs and projects in the Andean countries and South-South cooperation on issues related to capacity development in natural resource management, local governance, decentralization, socio-environmental conflict management, climate change and management Cultural and natural heritage.
CARMEN COLAZO
CARMEN COLAZO
JGG Consultant, Paraguay Network Contact
Carmen Colazo is an Argentinian academic and advocate for gender equality, with significant experience working for the rights of women in Argentina, Paraguay and other Latin American countries.Ms.Colazo holds a Master of Sociology degree from the University of Catalonia and a Bachelor of Information Sciences degree from the National University of Cordoba.
In 1993 Ms.Colazo became the first director of education for the Women’s Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic of Paraguay, with ministerial rank, and to date is a member of the cabinet. She was the director of the Network for Women, Gender Equality and Development (GED RIF) of the College of the Americas (COLAM) of the Inter-American University Organization (OUI). Ms.Colazo currently works as a consultant on human rights and gender issues.
PAOLA JIMENEZ
OTTO VALLE BONILLA
OTTO VALLE BONILLA
Otto Valle is Guatemalan with training in public administration, education and psychology. He is a professional expert in public administration, relations between civil society and the State, program and project management, and development of institutional capacities.
He has 25 years of experience as a consultant in management, planning, monitoring and evaluation of social development and democratic governance programs and projects in Guatemala and other Latin American countries. He has participated in multiple consultancies including external evaluations, monitoring systems, baselines, and planning processes for civil society and the Guatemalan state.
He has experience of working with international cooperation agencies such as UNICEF, USAID, UNESCO, UNDP, European Union, World Bank, Oxfam, CARE, World Vision, International Plan, as well as for Embassies and Ministries of Foreign Affairs of various countries in Guatemala.
YULYE JESSICA ROMO RAMOS
YULYE JESSICA ROMO RAMOS
Yulye Jessica Romo Ramos is a Mexican/British consultant known for the use of innovative and complex theory-based approaches, systems thinking and participatory methods to design, evaluate and learn from social innovations, large investments, and development programmes – producing strategically and operationally relevant findings that help improve practice, decision making, and learning.
Jessica has a master’s degree in global and environmental issues, with a specialisation in evaluation. She has over 15 year's experience in human rights, policy, gender, science, technology and media for development, and climate change and environmental issues. Jessica's field experience includes the UK, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Jessica is the director & founder of Nexus Evaluation Ltd, a UK-based consultancy company committed to maximising its customer’s social impact and results with systemic, culturally sensitive, and equitable approaches; and by working in the nexus between strategy, organisational development, and MERL (monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning).
LLOYD LIPSETT
LLOYD LIPSETT
JGG Consultant
Lloyd Lipsett is a Canadian lawyer with 15 years of specialization in international human rights, democratic development, the rule of law, and corporate social responsibility. Lloyd's international human rights expertise has been shaped by his work with public institutions, private companies, multilateral agencies, non-governmental organizations, and First Nations councils. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from McGill University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Queen’s University, and is licensed to practice law and serve as a notary in Ontario and Quebec.
Mr.Lipsett has developed a unique niche in the field of human rights impact and compliance assessment related to business and trade. He has conducted human rights impact assessments related to multilateral trade agreements, and, together with Kimberly Inksater, developed a methodology for the annual human rights reporting process of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Mr.Lipsett has undertaken human rights assessments of mining operations in North America and Guatemala and has conducted consultancies related to business, human rights and international/community development with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the International Bar Association, the Mining Association of Canada and a variety of companies and consulting firms.
CARLOS ARENAS
CARLOS ARENAS
JGG Consultant
Carlos Arenas is a Colombian expert with over 20 years of experience in human rights in the Latin American region, including work on indigenous rights, internally displaced populations, climate displacement, microfinance, women's empowerment, housing and land. Mr. Arenas holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
CurrentlyMr. Arenas is a consultant for Displacement Solutions, an international human rightsorganization based in Geneva, carrying out research and advocacy on climate-related displacement in Panama and Colombia. He has been a researcher at the Instituto Latinoamericano por un Derecho y una Sociedad Alternativa (ILSA) in Colombia, and was the executive director of Working Capital for Community Needs (WCCN) in Madison, Wisconsin for 12 years.
CESAR TORRES
CESAR TORRES
Cesar Torres is a Colombian lawyer, who holds a Master of Social Research in companies in conflict. He has been a consultant to the World Bank on transitional justice. He is currently a researcher principal of Justice project and Security in areas of armed conflict in Colombia, columnist for the newspaper El Tiempo of Bogota and consultant associated with JGG.