Rule of Law Defenders

c y l i n d r

Rule of Law Defenders brings you real-life advocates dedicated to advancing human rights and a just rule of law worldwide. Whatever you care about most – family & friends, freedom, finances, health & well-being, politics, you name it – all are affected by whether people in power respect human rights, obey the law, and are held accountable. Join us to learn more – and to empower yourself along the way. cylindrmag.substack.com

  1. JAN 14

    The Veteran

    Andrew Solomon is a seasoned justice innovator and rule of law influencer with a passion for disrupting bureaucracy and dismantling barriers to change. For three decades, he has led in designing cutting-edge programs, building partnerships, and facilitating locally-led initiatives to close justice gaps, strengthen trust in justice institutions, and empower people and communities as an international donor, development practitioner, and lawyer. His specializations in people-centered and open justice and court excellence have been shaped by his employment with such organizations as the American Bar Association, the American Society of International Law, the Brookings Institution, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Before founding the Rule of Law IDEAS Co-Lab, he served for over a decade as a Senior Rule of Law Advisor at the now dismantled United States Agency for International Development (USAID), where he led or contributed to the design of more than two dozen rule of law programs — from Serbia and Kosovo to Georgia to Somalia and Ethiopia, to El Salvador, to Uzbekistan and the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos-totaling roughly $500 million in foreign assistance awards. While at USAID, Andrew also led the development of the agency’s first-ever Rule of Law Policy and numerous technical tools and resources. He currently serves on the boards of the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative and International Association for Court Administration (IACA). He is also a past board member of the Justice Action Coalition, a multi-stakeholder and donor platform to catalyze people-centered justice reforms around the world, representing the United States government. Get full access to cylindr at cylindrmag.substack.com/subscribe

    34 min
  2. 12/27/2025

    Justice Defenders

    Ginna Anderson has more than a decade of experience as an international human rights lawyer defending fundamental freedoms and fair trial rights, with specific expertise in health and human rights, human rights defender protection, and media freedom. She currently serves as the Associate Director of the American Bar Association’s Center for Human Rights, where she leads a diverse team of human rights advocates to provide pro bono legal support, monitor trials, and advocate for the rights of individuals and communities facing persecution. Since joining the Center in 2012, she has supported journalists and human rights defenders facing criminalization, smear campaigns, strategic lawsuits against public participation (“SLAPPs”), and other forms of reprisals in every region of the world. Lana Baydas is the Program Director at the ABA Center for Human Rights and leads the Center’s Proxy Warfare Project. Prior to joining the Center, she was a senior fellow with the Human Rights Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she led research and policy efforts related to closing civic space. She served at headquarters and in field operations with the United Nations, Crisis Action, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. She holds a Ph.D. and LL.M. in public international law from the University of Glasgow in Scotland and a B.A. in political science from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. They spoke to Rule of Law Defenders in their personal capacities. Get full access to cylindr at cylindrmag.substack.com/subscribe

    42 min
  3. 11/19/2025

    The Business Case

    Bennett Freeman has worked for more than four decades at the intersection of governments, international institutions, multinational corporations, responsible investors, and NGOs to promote human rights and sustainable development around the world. An innovative leader in the fields of business and human rights, natural resource governance, and responsible investment, he has played key roles in developing several multi-stakeholder initiatives and global standards that have strengthened corporate responsibility in industries from extractives to information and communications technology. He is the lead author of Shared Space Under Pressure: Business Support for Civic Freedoms and Human Rights Defenders, published by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre and International Service for Human Rights in September 2018. A leading member of numerous advisory boards of public interest organizations, he also has served in senior management positions in the private sector, where he was responsible for environmental, social and governance research; developing investment themes for new funds; and directing shareholder advocacy and public policy initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and communications strategies related to human rights, labor practices, and sustainable development. In the Clinton Administration, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; as Senior Advisor to Under Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs; and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and chief speechwriter to the Secretary of State. He currently consults for major corporations, foundations, and NGOs through Bennett Freeman Associates LLC, an Associate Fellow in the Global Economy and Finance program at Chatham House , and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Get full access to cylindr at cylindrmag.substack.com/subscribe

    38 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Rule of Law Defenders brings you real-life advocates dedicated to advancing human rights and a just rule of law worldwide. Whatever you care about most – family & friends, freedom, finances, health & well-being, politics, you name it – all are affected by whether people in power respect human rights, obey the law, and are held accountable. Join us to learn more – and to empower yourself along the way. cylindrmag.substack.com

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