A Conversation with the 2024 Colombia National Human Rights Award Winners

When

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Where

Hybrid event | WOLA Office 1666 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC 20008 and on Zoom

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The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Diakonia, and Act Church Sweden, in conjunction with Colombia Acuerdo de Paz NGO, CEJIL, Latin America Working Group, and the Colombia Human Rights Committee, invite you to join us for a conversation with the winners of Colombia’s 2024 National Human Rights Award.

The National Human Rights Award in Colombia is conferred annually upon human rights defenders working to uphold the rights of victims, protect communities, and sustain the country’s fragile peace process in the face of ongoing violence and humanitarian crises. These four distinguished individuals and organizations represent the courage and resilience of Colombia’s human rights defenders.

We look forward to an enriching conversation on the continued political and financial support for peace in Colombia, the defense of victims’ rights, and urgent responses to the worsening humanitarian situation in key regions of the country.

Featured Speakers:

• Pablo Cala, Defender of the Year
  Human rights advocate and founder of Fundación Hasta Encontrarlos, working to locate the thousands of victims who disappeared during Colombia’s internal armed conflict and push for effective public policy on the issue.
• Jenniffer Chavarro Quino (ASOQUIMBO), Collective Experience or Initiative of the Year
  Representing a campesino association defending communities affected by the El Quimbo hydroelectric project in Huila, through legal accompaniment, grassroots organizing, and environmental justice advocacy.
• Nora Isabel Saldarriaga (Fundación Forjando Futuros), Collective Experience or Initiative of the Year
  Leading a foundation that supports victims of the armed conflict in their pursuit of justice, land restitution, and gender equality, through legal advocacy and institutional reform.
• Father Albeiro Parra Solís, Lifetime Achievement Awardee
  Priest and human rights leader from Chocó, defending the rights of Afro-Colombian, Indigenous, and mestizo communities while facilitating dialogue between grassroots groups and institutions.

This event will be held in both English and Spanish. In-person attendance is preferred.