By Juliana Morales, Program Assistant, and Shirley Tarazona, Intern for ABA ROLI’s Colombia Office
Medellín, September 9th, 2022 — To commemorate national Human Rights Day, ABA ROLI’s Colombia Project, Conectando Caminos por los Derechos (CCD), hosted a deeply emotional award ceremony for defenders and advocates of migrants’ human rights. The awards were the result of collective efforts of organizations from the consortium of the USAID-funded program, namely Pact, ABA ROLI, Freedom House, and Internews, as well as key local partners: The Institute for Race, Equality and Human Rights, representing civil society organizations; the University of the Andes’ Center for Migration Studies representing academia; the League Against Silence, and El Espectador, representing the press and journalists. Also, for the second edition, the USAID program Justicia Inclusiva joined the initiative as a key partner.
The Walking Towards Justice Awards praise and highlight the relentless work of community leaders, human rights defenders, civil society organizations, journalists, and public officials in protecting human rights and guaranteeing access to justice for the migrant population in Colombia. These awards are the first in Colombia to celebrate the defense of human rights and access to justice for migrants while, simultaneously, gathering the civil society, judicial actors, and academic sectors.