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There is an image missing. It should be here. Sunthraporn Kestakaeo, of the Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, presents on organization structure during a participatory advocacy session.

HRAP News

HRAP Welcomes the 2007 Advocates
August 20, 2007

On Monday, August 20, the Center for the Study of Human Rights (CSHR) at Columbia University will welcome twelve remarkable human rights leaders to the 2007 Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP). In its 18th year, HRAP continues its legacy of strengthening the skills, knowledge, and networks of proven Human Rights Advocates from marginalized communities in the Global South and the U.S.

“We are very pleased to host such a diverse group of activists who bring their frontline experience to Columbia and New York.” said Margaret Ladner, Director of Capacity Building Programs at CSHR. These twelve exceptional activists come from Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, India, Mexico, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Thailand, and the U.S.

Highly respected on local and national levels, the 2007 HRAP participants champion global development that respects and safeguards local communities. These leaders work on issues including the extractive industries, HIV/AIDS, and sustainable development. The Advocates will be in residence in Columbia University from mid-August until mid-December. During that time, they will be immersed in an intensive program that will engage them in a dialogue on the effects of globalization with members of the academic, NGO, and policymaking communities. At the end of their residency, the participants will return to their home organizations to continue to defend the communities they serve.

Monica Jasis, a 2007 Advocate from Mexico who focuses on the empowerment and wellbeing of women and adolescents at her organization Centro Mujeres, explains “I am convinced that HRAP will allow me to learn new work models within the human rights field that I can then apply in my country.”

“With new skills and connections, these leaders are better able to address the complex problems their communities face in this increasingly globalized world,” added Ms. Ladner, who oversees HRAP. “For example, they are able to build alliances to push for the distribution of generic HIV/AIDS medications, challenge the toxic effects of mining for local peoples, and bring attention to the particular problems globalization poses for women.”

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