Kenyan social justice activist Naomi Barasa and Colombian human rights lawyer Daniel Prado have won the first annual Sir Henry Brooke Awards for Human Rights Defenders. The awards were presented by Lady Arden DBE, at a packed event at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on 13 November 2018. The event was organised by PBI UK and pro bono legal network the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk, and hosted by Lord Carnwath CVO.
June 2018 - This week marks the launch of an innovative new resource for defenders working on issues regarding business and human rights. It was produced by law firm Simmons & Simmons in collaboration with PBI UK.
On the 16th of March 2018 members of the EU Parliament sent a letter to the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to express serious concern in regard to the recent increase in assassinations and threats against human rights defenders and community leaders in Colombia.
PBI Honduras has published its fourth edition of their newsletter, reflecting on human rights and the work of defenders in the country throughout 2016.
On the 8th and 9th June 2016, the second Periodic Review of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Honduras (CESCR) will take place in Geneva.In the previous review in May 2001, 26 recommendations were made to Honduras. However none of these recommendations made explicit reference to the situation regarding the defence of economic, social and cultural rights.
PBI calls on the Mexican Government to take the actions required to guarantee the security of Cristina Auerbach and the Pasta de Conchos Family Organization
Mexico City, 31 March 2016.– Due to the recent intimitadion and slander suffered by the Human Rights Defender Cristina Auerbach, PBI calls on the Mexican Government to take the actions required to guarantee her security and the one of the other members of the Pasta de Conchos Family Organization. Likewise, PBI requests Mexican authorities to publicly recognise the legitimate work carried out by the Organisation.
In February 2016, PBI UK welcomed Kenyan Human Rights Defender Gacheke Gachihi to London. In Spring 2016 Gacheke was invited to join the Protective Fellowship Scheme for Human Rights Defenders at Risk at The Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York.(1)
Gacheke Gachihi is a social justice activist who has been active in the human rights movement in Kenya for over a decade. He is a founding member of Bunge la Mwananchi (‘People’s Parliament’), an organic pro-poor social movement in Kenya historically related to popular social struggles for empowerment and participatory democracy. He is also currently a coordinator of the Mathare Social Justice Centre. Human rights defenders in Kenya face a particularly dangerous environment including criminalisation (2), harassment and NGOs face threats of closure.(3) PBI Kenya has been working with Gacheke since 2013.
In May 2014 Isabel Turuy Patzan, a representative of the 12 Communities in Resistance since 2009, visited London on a speaking tour organised by PBI UK. Read his interview with Minority Voices here.
The people of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó have faced threats, stigmatisation and killings because of their decision to resist displacement, embrace nonviolence and work together to create a better world for future generations.
True #PeacePioneers, they are seeking justice for human rights violations, nonviolence in the midst of a conflict zone, and environmental sustainability.
With many economic interests in their lands and the continued presence of illegal armed groups, they remain in grave danger. Since the Community’s formation in 1997, over 200 people have been killed.
It’s because of this high level of risk that the Community relies on the presence of Peace Brigades International to prevent further attacks on its members.
