THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE ON RACE EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

SOUTH AMERICA RACE AND EQUALITY WORKS IN SOUTH AMERICA TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF OUR COUNTERPARTS TO MONITOR AND DOCUMENT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS COMMITTED AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, WOMEN, CHILDREN, AFRO-DESCENDANTS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AND MEMBERS OF THE LGBTI COMMUNITY, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY INCREASING ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE UNIVERSAL SYSTEM.IN BRAZIL, RACE AND EQUALITY WORKS TO STRENGTHEN AND BUILD ALLIANCES BETWEEN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS. OUR GOAL IS TO STRENGTHEN GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ACTORS AND PROMOTE STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN THEIR COUNTRIES. LIKEWISE, WE WORK TOGETHER WITH PARTNERS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR LEGAL ACTION IN CASES OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. WE ACT STRATEGICALLY TO CONNECT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE GROUPS THEY DEFEND, OBSERVING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION. FINALLY, RACE AND EQUALITY TOGETHER WITH ITS PARTNERS SEEK TO PREPARE REPORTS AND DOSSIERS ON THE SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY WITH STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS SO THAT THEY CAN GUIDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF NATIONAL PUBLIC POLICIES, VISIBILITY OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, DEMOCRATIC STRENGTHENING AND, IN ADDITION, OFFER AN OVERVIEW OF THE BRAZILIAN SCENARIO AT REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.IN COLOMBIA, RACE AND EQUALITY PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO OUR PARTNERS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR STRATEGIC LITIGATION, ADVOCACY, RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, AND COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES. WE PROMOTE THE STRATEGIC USE OF LITIGATION TO OVERCOME HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, FROM TRAINING OUR PARTNERS IN THE USE OF LEGAL TOOLS AVAILABLE TO GENERATING DISCOURSE ON STRATEGIES FOR LEGAL ADVOCACY. AT THE DOMESTIC LEVEL, WE PROMOTE OUR PARTNERS' VISIBILITY AND PRESENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL PUBLIC POLICIES OR LEGAL CHANGES THAT ARE PERTINENT TO THEM. AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, WE PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN SPHERES OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEBATE OFFERED BY THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE VARIOUS ORGANS OF THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM, TO SUBMIT FORMAL COMPLAINTS OR PRESENT REPORTS ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN COLOMBIA. RACE AND EQUALITY'S RACIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM IN COLOMBIA HAS BEEN DEVELOPING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH, ADVOCACY AND STRATEGIC LITIGATION ACTIONS AIMED AT GUARANTEEING THE RIGHTS OF AFRO-DESCENDANT HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, VICTIMS OF THE ARMED CONFLICT, BELONGING TO ETHNIC COMMUNITIES AND VICTIMS OF RACIST POLICE VIOLENCE. OUR HUMAN MOBILITY PROGRAM IN COLOMBIA AIMS TO PROMOTE ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE IN SITUATIONS OF HUMAN MOBILITY, AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT FORMS OF VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION IN COLOMBIA, THROUGH IMPLEMENTING ACTIVITIES FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, ADVOCACY, INTERNATIONAL LITIGATION AND STRENGTHENING THE TECHNICAL CAPACITIES OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS. FINALLY, RACE AND EQUALITY HAS A THEMATIC LINE FOCUSED ON LESBIANS, GAYS, BISEXUALS, AND TRANS PEOPLE, WHICH SEEKS TO INFLUENCE THE GENERATION OF STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO OVERCOME HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN COLOMBIA FROM A DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE.IN PERU, RACE AND EQUALITY PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORTS PERUVIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK TO PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF LGBTI+ AND AFRO-DESCENDANT PEOPLE, IN ORDER TO ADVOCATE AND INFLUENCE THE COUNTRY'S PUBLIC POLICIES IN FAVOR OF PROTECTING THESE POPULATIONS, AS WELL AS ADVOCATING BEFORE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS. WE PROMOTE OUR PARTNERS' PARTICIPATION IN SPACES FOR ADVOCACY AND REGIONAL DEBATE, SUCH AS THE OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS AND THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM, WHERE WE MAINLY MANAGE THEMATIC HEARINGS BEFORE THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (IACHR) AND PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. LIKEWISE, AT THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM OF THE UNITED NATIONS (UN), WE URGE THE PARTICIPATION OF ALLIES IN SPACES SUCH AS: THE COMMITTEE THAT MONITORS THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION (CERD) AND THE COMMITTEE THAT MONITORS THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW). WE STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITIES OF AFRO-DESCENDANT AND LGBTI+ ORGANIZATIONS TO DESIGN AND PREPARE REPORTS AND ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND IN INTERNATIONAL SPACES. WE SEEK STRATEGIC ALLIANCES WITH ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN RIGHTS, SUCH AS CEDEMUNEP (THE CENTER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BLACK PERUVIAN WOMEN)AN AFRO-PERUVIAN ORGANIZATION THAT ADVOCATES FOR THE RIGHTS OF AFRO-PERUVIAN WOMEN AND FIGHTS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION, EXCLUSION AND MARGINALIZATIONAND INVOLVE THEM IN SPACES FOR REGIONAL DEBATE, SUCH AS THE INTER-AMERICAN FORUM AGAINST DISCRIMINATION, AN ANNUAL RACE AND EQUALITY EVENT.