Taking a closer look at the border dynamics between Venezuela and Colombia, and Nicaragua and Costa Rica, specifically help inform protection approaches for activists elsewhere in the region that have been forced to flee their home countries. Across the globe, millions of people have survived harrowing journeys and overcome immeasurable hardship to seek safety, equality, and opportunity. Children in many countries experienced obstacles to education under pandemic-related restrictions. Lack of support and instances of complicity have sown frustration and anger among HRDs in Latin America and distrust in State-run systems. The Team thanks the key informants for their time and for sharing valuable insights. As tensions between preventative measures and fundamental freedoms linger, the work of human rights defenders like Victoria is more important than ever. In 2012, Patrick formed ALECMA to raise awareness of the enduring racism and institutional violence that migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa experience. State-run protection mechanisms are often prescriptive, offering a predetermined menu of protections from which HRDs can choose that do not necessarily respond to the specific needs of HRDs or the risks present in their differentiated contexts. While some examples of collective protection experiences exist in places like Honduras and Mexico, many of these processes are not being led by civil society or local authorities, but rather by external actors. For example, some HRDs have continued to support their communities by providing advice and accompaniment via WhatsApp, phone calls and email. Weve delivered more than $42.9 million in support. Argentina recognized non-binary gender identities in official identity documents, the first country in Latin America to do so. According to some practitioners, researchers and academics, the United Nations definition offers a solid foundation for defining who can be considered an HRD. In 2017, Mexico City took over operations of the Casa Refugio (Mexico City was always the house owner) and converted the house for Mexican cultural activities. HRDs burgeoning agency in shaping their own protection has prompted a shift from perceiving HRDs under threat as victims, to viewing them as agents of change, and sources to understand how human rights movements organize and strategize in restricted and undemocratic environments. Interviewees also represented geographic diversity, spanning the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, Canada and the U.S. (See List of Interviews Annex 1). Even democratically elected leaders attacked independent civil society, the free press, and judicial independence. Latin American governments, social movements, and regional organizations have made a far greater contribution to the idea and practice of international human rights than has previously been recognized. In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele and his allies in the legislature summarily replaced Supreme Court justices they disagreed with and passed laws to dismiss hundreds of lower-level judges and prosecutors. While not extensive in number, there are a few regional shelters for HRDs in Latin America, and all operate at full capacity. For example, the region is seeing rising numbers of new initiatives to strengthen national measures and expand shelters for HRDs to seek a safe haven in the face of immediate risk. Temporary relocation providers and shelters, Bilateral and multilateral donor organizations. As such, it is not intended to evaluate impact or capacity of HRD protection initiatives, much less to assess specific programs and/or initiatives. We are worried that this virus will come to our areas, says Naw Hser Eh. Some HRDs have had to pursue relocation on their own, often traversing the precarious and dangerous path through Central America and Mexico to seek protection in the U.S. Makelas story, like so many others, is a moving testament to the immense impact of local action. Instead, HRDs themselves take on much of the frontline work (collecting information, finding resources, establishing communication with potential relocation partners) to relocate themselves or their peers. There is a need to expand legal assistance and services to HRDs at the community level as well. The mapping, while non-exhaustive, helped the team to ensure geographical and thematic representation, as well as to capture a diversity of services and programs. Since 2016, Casa Refugio has had no direct relationship with ICORN, nor has it hosted a writer in exile. Patrick is the founder of the Fund-supported Association Lumire sur lmigration Clandestine au Maghreb (Light on Irregular Migration in the Maghreb Association, or ALECMA), a grassroots association of Sub-Saharan African migrants who advocate for the needs of their community in Morocco. The average duration of each interview was one to two hours and many of the interviews were transcribed. WOLA Thanks to HRDs increasing involvement in protection strategies, temporary relocation providers, national protection organizations, HRDs are more frequently raising the notion of holistic protection or integral security, which go beyond physical or traditional security to include initiatives such as medical, psychosocial, and psycho-emotional support. Hundreds of thousands of people flee from Central Americas Northern Triangle every year. Most discussions of the global human rights regime stress its origins in the countries of the Global North. In the 752-page World Report 2022, its 32nd edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in nearly 100 countries. Unfortunately, the assessment found that in many countries the demand for legal services exceeds the supply. As general secretary of the Fund-supported Karen Womens Organization (KWO)a leading womens rights group of more than 60,000 Karen minority womenshes advocated in Geneva, New York, and Washington for the human rights of her community. Reimagining Regional Governance in Latin America The Inter-American system lends a status to the HRDs as they are recognized in a situation of vulnerability, but ultimately how HRDs are protected is left entirely up to each State. The Wagner Group has been active in Sudan for years and supports the country's military government. Washington, DC 20036, Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism, Emergency Assistance and Thematic Programs, Defending the Defenders: Trends, Models, and Patterns, The Cases of Venezuelan and Nicaraguan Human Rights Defenders, https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/srhrdefenders/pages/defender.aspx, https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059051, https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2021/democracy-under-siege, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Defenders/Declaration/declaratio, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FactSheet29en.pdf, https://pbicolombia.org/accompanied-organisations/peace-community/, https://www.oas.org/en/IACHR/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/decisions/mc/about-, https://www.newtactics.org/conversation/self-care-activists-sustaining-. As a staff member of anorganization that supports temporary relocation put it, Any temporary relocation initiative must put the defenders at the center, give them contextualized, close, personal, and humane attention, and they must be able to listen.. Five interview guides were designed and tailored to the specific background or experience of the respondents. When relocation is warranted in some circumstances with indigenous human rights defenders, it is often a collective decision. Along with UNAIDS, several UN agencies, funds, and programmes, like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), have joined forces to support Lambda in different fronts hosting, sheltering and supporting LGBTIQ+ migrants and those in transit or Relocation almost always occurs in response to an urgent or imminent situation and, therefore,must occur swiftly. Initially, CasaRefugio Citlaltpetl received funding from Mexico City, and subsequently from the State of Mexico as well. The economic impact has been equally devastating. Moreover, external relocation demands more extensive capacity and resources, which are often unavailable or time-consuming to come by in urgent situations. In 1999, Mexico City joined ICORN through the Casa Refugio Citlaltpetl, which, between 1999 and 2016 hosted 13 writers and artists, five of whom have permanently resided in Mexico. PDF UN HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE AMERICAS - Office of the United Nations High Read Maureen's profile . In addition, the assessment incorporated findings from two case studies, produced by local consultants in Colombia and Costa Rica. When Aminita*, a 25-year-old Fula migrant living in Agadir, Morocco, was pregnant, she had no idea how to obtain a birth certificate for her baby. Food sovereignty is being threatened everywhere.. An independent EU electoral mission that monitored the November regional elections reported that some political opponents remained arbitrarily disqualified from running for office, there had been unequal access to the media, and the lack of judicial independence and of respect for the rule of law undermined the elections impartiality and transparency. Share this via Twitter Prior to fleeing their homes within or outside the country, amidst an environment of threats to their lives and attacks to their physical integrity, HRDs often have to hastily put personal and professional aspects of their lives in order, include leaving behind their careers, gainful employment, their homes and family members. The Covid-19 pandemic has been used as an excuse by governments to violate rights. According to practitioners, researchers and academics interviewed and engaged for the assessment, the United Nations definition offers a solid foundation for defining who can be considered an HRD.2 HRDs in Latin America are not receiving the necessary protection from the State entities authorized to provide the requisite protection and, in some instances, State officials have been involved in the threats and attacks against HRDs. If an HRD with a pending case of assault or attack before the Attorney General or Public Ministrys Office has to relocate outside the country, not all organizations providing relocation services will continue to accompany those cases, and as a consequence, cases get dropped and impunity ensues. Through interviews with international and local organizations, as well as HRDs, this assessment found that internal relocation, when feasible, should be the preferred method to assist HRDs at risk for several reasons. This has facilitated more effective communication with CSOs on the ground, allowing consistent and more systematic meetings that can inform more appropriate assistance. Protection is the treatment for insecurity, and this assessment revealed that, like the definition of an HRD, the definition of protection is evolving. Mxima Emiliana Garca Valey Mxima Emiliana [] Join our movement today. These include: Refining this definition will become increasingly important as a growing field of actors and stakeholders contribute diverse initiatives to protect HRDs. At the same time, the focus on these two cases from the perspective of the HRDs will highlight their needs related to health, livelihoods, psychological, education, security, family links, and advocacy opportunities. After a deadly second wave in October, COVID-19 cases are on the rise again. Indeed, civil society in general, and HRDs specifically, faced extraordinary challenges to mobilize during the pandemic and to transition their work under lockdown, facing both physical and virtual security hurdles.4 Millions of people were forced to leave their homes and countries, and the economic and social impact of the pandemic has been devastating.. When travel was under lockdown and restrictions were in place, my community was in big trouble, says Naw Hser Eh, a 63-year-old Karen woman living in the Ei Tu Hta IDP camp, home to more than 2,000 Karen people who have been displaced by one of the longest ongoing civil conflicts in the world. According to human rights organizations, in 2020, Latin America was the most dangerous continent in the world for human rights defenders, accounting for more than three- Together with my team at Spaces for Change and members of the Action Group on Free Civic Space, we shall continue to spot and push back against emergency measures that are being repurposed to further close civic space, she says. Moreover, in some instances, State officials have even been involved in perpetrating the threats and attacks against HRDs. In Part A, the Freedom House assessment team proposes a set of Non-Project Activities at the regional level, or sub-regional level, that would help to further progress in raising awareness about HRDs, their needs, challenges, and approaches to support them, and their work. LGBTQ+ people in Uganda now face some of the worlds harshest laws. ICORNs Casa Mxico Citlaltpetl: Casa Mexico Citlaltpetl started as part of the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN). Section VI provides strategic programming options to strengthen shelter and relocation programs to defend and protect HRDs. And despite promised government reforms and an influx of international funding, conditions remain exceedingly poor for hundreds of thousands of migrants in Morocco and protections are woefully limited. If an HRD is returning to her or his home country after temporary relocation, only a handful of national protection organizations have systems in place to evaluate the current context at home to help ensure a safe return. To resource their invaluable work, the Funds Enabling Environment Program awarded its first COVID-19 emergency grant to S4C. The World Food Program estimates that one in three Venezuelans is food insecure. However, these nascent efforts to design more comprehensive approaches to HRD protection have only begun to fill gaps and leverage opportunities available to protect and defend HRDs more effectively. The Fund is proud to provide Victoria with the flexible funding and strategic assistance she needs to effectively check government overreach and defend civic space in Nigeria. In Uganda, the state issued a strict lockdown that severely limited movement. When the local authorities refused to help, Makela reached out to the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP), a womens rights organization based in Kampala. Ineffective justice systems fly in the face of formal protection mechanisms offered by the State. Through decades of dictatorships and civil wars, activists from Latin America have inspired the world. Amnesty International. First, HRDs themselves prefer internal relocation. Millions of Venezuelans need aid, and the international response remains underfunded. This is especially true for indigenous HRDs and land rights defenders, who share communal and spiritual traditions connected to their lands. The most traditional definition of security, physical, remains dominant, although HRDs are beginning to learn other aspects and dimensions. For months, shes been part of a team fighting to end abuses perpetrated by these same state agents during the countrys COVID-19 crisis. Within the broader Latin America HRD landscape, a new dynamic is emerging at border locations, as HRDs and CSOs have been forced to flee their home countries. Rather, it describes (based on secondary information available in compliance with the Statement of Work and time constraints) gaps in support and protection for vulnerable activists and HRDs in Latin America and highlights major areas that merit regional and national attention. Just Scraping By: Underfunded Human Rights Organizations Struggle to The Fund is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (Federal Tax ID 75-3029336) and a UK registered charity (Charity Number 1151043 and Company Number 08357053). And after years of hard-fought resistance to exploitative development projects, the Garifuna have developed innovative ways of ensuring access to food. Transnational repression appears relatively rare in Latin America compared to other regions, although it is possible that the phenomenon is less visible due to the regions enormous humanitarian crises, including the international displacement of millions of people due to political repression, organized crime, and natural disasters. The assessment revealed an opportunity to leverage this budding shift in protection strategies to pilot new collective protection initiatives, born more organically from the way the human rights movements, communities, collectives and networks organize themselves.
Doughty Street Charleston, Sc,
1323 Highland Ave Los Angeles,
Articles H