2008 Participants

From mid-August to mid-December 2008, six human rights leaders working on behalf of marginalized communities in the Global South and the United States will be in residence at Columbia University for the Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP). Started in 1989, the Program provides opportunities for proven grassroots leaders to strengthen their skills and to participate in dialogues on globalization with members of the academic, NGO, policymaking, and corporate communities. The Advocates bring a wealth of practical knowledge and a diversity of experiences, and are available as speakers, experts, and collaborators.

For more information, contact CSHR Program Coordinator Silvia Fernandez by or at +1 212.854.7372.

Anbu Sengoarasi Aganezhmaivanan, India
Program Officer
Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum

Anbu Sengoarasi Aganezhmaivanan is a Program Officer at the Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum, where she defends the rights of Dalit women laborers and works to achieve gender justice.  Through fact-finding missions, demonstrations, campaigns, and cooperative strategizing, Ms. Aganezhmaivanan addresses community concerns that have resulted from national or international policies and practices.  Ms. Aganezhmaivanan has successfully lobbied on behalf of Dalit women affected by poorly implemented microcredit schemes by initiating international letter writing campaigns and peaceful demonstrations.  She has publicized internationally how the implementation of Special Economic Zones encourages the presence of multinational companies but often results in unfair practices against women laborers, such as the uncompensated eviction of Dalit women in the Zones.  To address this issue, Ms. Aganezhmaivanan has also pushed for a land redistribution scheme that would include Dalits.  In confronting the status of Dalit women on a local and a global scale, Ms. Aganezhmaivanan is committed to strengthening Dalit women’s movements and empowering local Dalit women to participate effectively in democratic processes.

Paola Carolina Delgado, USA
Membership Director
South Florida Jobs with Justice

As the Membership Director of South Florida Jobs with Justice (JwJ) based in Miami, FL, Carolina Delgado advocates on behalf of South Florida immigrant and female workers in the Colombian flower industry.  Her efforts to protect women’s rights as workers include campaigning for fair wages and addressing both local and international injustices.  Ms. Delgado has extensive experience building cross-border networks and spearheaded the Colombian Flower Workers Campaign.  This campaign led to the creation of the Flower Workers’ Committee, a group of local students, activists, and trade unionists who continue to push for workers’ rights in the flower industry.  A Colombian immigrant to the United States, Ms. Delgado has implemented several popular education programs tailored to women of color to encourage dialogue, solidarity, and coalition building.  In her role as president of STITCH’s Board of Directors, Ms. Delgado has furthered the organization’s work on behalf of women in the Central American maquila sector and of immigrant women in the United States.

Roger Luhiriri, Democratic Republic of Congo
Health Program Assistant
Panzi Hospital

Dr. Roger Luhiriri serves as a specialist physician in traumatic fistula at Panzi Hospital, the only center for victims of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  Dr. Luhiriri also helps to guide the hospital’s other services for survivors of sexual violence, including psychological support, vocational training, and childcare.  As a representative of Panzi Hospital, Dr. Luhiriri has built alliances between the Hospital and other nongovernmental organizations in the immediate area to encourage local participation in conflict resolution.

In addition to his work at Panzi Hospital, Dr. Luhiriri collaborates with Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes des Violences Sexuelles (SFVS), a coalition of women’s organizations addressing sexual violence against women.  To address a growing need to support the caregivers of sexual violence survivors, Dr. Luhiriri has introduced a new Program of Psychological Assistance for Social Workers and Doctors.  Dr. Luhiriri recently advocated this new initiative at Toronto University’s Stephen Lewis Foundation, where he studied women’s human rights.

Peter Mulbah, Liberia
Executive Director
Skills and Agricultural Development Services

Peter Mulbah is the Executive Director of Skills and Agricultural Development Services (SADS) and works to protect the environmental rights of rural Liberians, especially those pertaining to deforestation by multinational logging corporations and the contamination of ground and surface water by mining practices.  As SADS’ Director, Mr. Mulbah oversees the organization’s activities and has worked intensively to educate the people of Liberia about their rights regarding rural land tenure and to mobilize them to advocate for equitable solutions.  By organizing participatory dialogues and town hall meetings that engage communities and government officials, Mr. Mulbah is committed to working towards a society where communities use non-violent conflict resolution methods.  In addition, Mr. Mulbah advocates for alternative means of livelihood in Liberia.  He successfully lobbied the Liberian government to include indigenous groups in policy making regarding a new nationally protected area that initially threatened their traditional livelihoods.  Mr. Mulbah continues to pressure the government to clearly define indigenous rights and relevant government obligations in more comprehensive legislation. 

Amalia Pulungan, Indonesia
Program Officer
Institute for Global Justice

A Program Officer at the Institute for Global Justice in Indonesia, Amalia Pulungan links local leaders to international forums addressing the connections between education, trade, and local agriculture.  In response to the impacts of international trade agreements, Ms. Pulungan helped to mobilize a 2003 education effort directed at rural peasant populations across Indonesia to inform them of their rights and available resources.  Ms. Pulungan is also a member of the Indonesian Peasant Organization (API), at which she has campaigned in support of farmers’ rights.  While she is a strong believer in engagement with the parliamentary process, Ms. Pulungan has also played a critical role in organizing the rural population in protest against WTO policies which forced Indonesia to import highly subsidized agricultural products from the Global North at the expense of local farmers. Prior to the WTO Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in 2005, Ms. Pulungan brought together fishermen, migrant laborers, peasant groups, and the media to successfully protect agriculture tariffs on goods produced by marginalized groups in Indonesia.

Alejandro Rivera, Mexico
Vice-President and Adjunct Coordinator of Programming and Evaluation
Collective for Family Health

Mr. Rivera serves as Vice-President and Adjunct Coordinator of Programming and Evaluation at the Collective for Family Health (CIFAM).  At CIFAM, Mr. Rivera advocates for communities of people marginalized for their age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or HIV/AIDS status in the state of Chiapas.  To support this work, Mr. Rivera builds alliances with non-governmental organizations, public institutions, and foundations dedicated to supporting these communities.  He has helped to create environments where young people are empowered to advocate for sexual and reproductive rights on a national level and has developed programs aimed at sensitizing medical and administrative personnel in jails to the harmful effects of abuse and discrimination.  Additionally, Mr. Rivera has brought together networks of women and youth with HIV and AIDS that focus on advocacy and defense of their human rights.  In 2004, Mr. Rivera was honored by the Mexican government with a national award highlighting his efforts to fight AIDS and to promote reproductive, sexual, and gender rights.

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