For more than 20 years, I ran non-profit organizations working on US foreign policy toward Latin America that encouraged human rights and social justice. I worked closely with counterpart organizations, academics, and government officials throughout the region, often developing collaborative advocacy strategies.
From 2003-2016 I was the Executive Director of the Washington Office on Latin America. I developed and carried out two long-term strategic plans; rebuilt the organization leading it out of a financial crisis; restructured the organization’s development program, increased fundraising, and doubled the budget (to $3.5 million); and oversaw a staff of 25 with an additional dozen volunteers and consultants.
I established new programs on human rights and organized crime, and security/defense which became hallmarks of WOLA’s work; worked with colleagues in Guatemala to develop and successfully advocate for the first-of-a-kind UN body (the CICIG) to help investigate and prosecute organized crime; accompanied this process for more than a decade through many political attacks; established a program on border (US/Mexico) security and migration, collaborated with academics and NGOs on both sides of the border.
Under my leadership WOLA refocused its unique drug policy program building collaborative dialogues, research networks, and corresponding communications strategies with counterparts throughout the United States, Latin America, and Europe.
Before running WOLA, I directed the Latin America Working Group, a coalition of 60 organizations that coordinated member advocacy with US officials. Chaired regular strategy meetings and developed common policy statements; used advocacy to help shape peace accord implementation programs in Central America; successfully advocated for lifting restrictions on the sale of food and medicine to Cuba by the United States; created a research program to encourage greater transparency on US military programs and successfully advocated for corresponding legislation that resulted in the annual US government’s Foreign Military Training Report; and supported passage of the Leahy Law restricting US military assistance to human rights abusers and tracked its implementation.
Advocacy, Academia, and Advancing Justice | Interview with Joy Olson
Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me today, Joy. To get us started, could you tell me a little about your background?
Joy Olson: I was born and raised in Wisconsin. I interned in Washington, DC while in college and after graduation went back to work for Church World Service on immigration and Central American refugee policy. It was the early to mid-1980s, the time of the last major immigration reform in the US, and also the period when many fleeing the wars in Central America came to the United States. From that experience I knew that I needed to learn Spanish and spend time in Latin America. I went to Honduras, studied Spanish and did community development work. Ultimately I ended up in Mexico where I did a master’s degree in Latin American Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
How did you get started in your field?
Joy Olson: After graduate school, I returned to the U.S. to work on U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America. I was fortunate to serve as the director of the Latin America Working Group – a coalition of over 60 organizations – and later became the Executive Director of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a human rights and policy advocacy organization. I spent more than 20 years leading efforts to reform U.S. policies, promote human rights, and collaborate with activists and policymakers across the Americas.
What inspired you to pursue this line of work?
Joy Olson: I was always interested in social justice and public policy. My experience in the region allowed me to see the important human rights work that people were doing. It also made me aware that my place, in the field of human rights advocacy, was in influencing the policies of my own government. That I could support reform efforts in the region by encouraging the policy and practices of the U.S. Over the years, I’ve stayed motivated by the incredible advocates and communities I’ve had the privilege of working alongside.
What drew you to this visiting lecturer position?
Joy Olson: It was a mix of timing and serendipity. I’d already been thinking about relocating to take care of my aging parents in Wisconsin when Erica Simmons from UW-Madison’s International Studies Major reached out about the opportunity to teach! It felt like everything just aligned at the right time. I also loved the idea of bringing my experiences with practical advocacy into the classroom, where I might be able to help students learn some incredibly useful skills that I had to figure out through trial and error on the job.
What have you found most rewarding about your experience so far?
Joy Olson: The students, without a doubt. This is an important and challenging time for advocacy in the US and Latin America. The students were grappling with things that they were seeing in the news. We could talk about practical applications of the issues, theories and history each week. It was a pleasure to get to know the students and it gave me hope for the future.
What are the key issues or themes you focus on in your work?
Joy Olson: My work focuses on human rights and advocacy in Latin America. During my time with WOLA and the Latin America Working Group, I worked on U.S. foreign aid, organized crime, drug policy reform, security and migration policy. I have always tried to think about the “intermestic” side of these issues – problems that impact both the US and Latin America and that cannot be solved by reform in only one place. My value-add to human rights defense and reform efforts in the region was through the US. – Most recently, I’ve been involved in migration issues.
How do you hope your work will impact students and the broader community?
Joy Olson: My goal is to help students learn to think like advocates. Many of my students are interested in Latin America and human rights, and I want them to learn how to approach problems strategically—how to break down an issue, identify decision-makers, understand power dynamics, and develop an actionable advocacy plan. I’m not telling them what to advocate for; I’m giving them a skill set they can use in any policy or social justice setting.
What motivates you to keep doing this work?
Joy Olson: Honestly, it’s the people. I’ve worked alongside so many inspiring individuals over the years, in Latin America and the U.S. I am reminded of my place of privilege. Example, families of the disappeared in Mexico live with their painful reality. Many go out week after week in search of human remains, trying to find their loved ones, because the government has failed them. It is exhausting, physically and mentally. I can support them, but I can also step away. They can’t and they don’t. I admire their persistence. If I get to accompany them and be helpful in some way, that is my privilege as well.
What advice can you give to students interested in pursuing a career in human rights, peacebuilding, or social-justice-oriented foreign policy under the current political climate?
Joy Olson: It’s a hard moment to enter this field. Many programs are being defunded or dismantled, especially those with federal support. My advice is to focus on building transferable skills. Learn how to write clearly and persuasively – being able to write well will take you far. Become fluent in Spanish or Portuguese if you want to work in the Americas. Understand how to do power mapping and strategic planning. Most of all, stay curious, and don’t lose heart.
Overall career advice?
Joy Olson: Study abroad if you can. Immerse yourself in different perspectives, listen, live alongside others and try to understand how they see the world. Also, practice writing. Communication is one of the most essential tools in this work. Being able to distill complex issues into a short, one to two page memo is a valuable skill, and one that is crucial for advocacy.
What classes do you teach?
Joy Olson: I currently teach a course on advocacy in human rights, with a focus on Latin America. Each week we discuss a specific issue, learn some history, and I bring in an expert by zoom to talk about their work. Then we talk about advocacy tools and how to use them.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and insights, Joy. It’s been a pleasure speaking with you.
Joy Olson: Thank you! It’s been great to have the opportunity to talk about this work and to connect with students and educators. The community here is very engaged in issues that I care about and it has been my pleasure to be at the UW this year.