Additionally, PBI promoted the large number of virtual and in-person events in which accompanied organisations were participating. Through our social networks, we published numerous photographic and written publications which focused on the work of women human rights defenders accompanied by PBI Colombia, as well as the different risks and impacts they suffer because of the fact that they are women. We published interviews with, among others, Berenice Celeita (Nomadesc), Jani Silva (Adispa, accompanied by JyP),Yanette Bautista (Fneb), Claudia Julieta Duque and Julia Figueroa (Ccalcp).
of the Year: Grassroots Level” and “Lifetime Achievement”, respectively. The third organisation nominated by PBI, the campaign “Defender La Libertad: Asunto de Todos” (Defending Freedom: Everyone’s Business)1, won the award in the category “collective experience or process of the year”. It is worth noting that a fundamental part of their work has been to denounce arbitrary detentions, judicial persecution and the criminalisation of social protest in Colombia, and that winning the award means that the work has received significant public recognition and wide spread media coverage2.
To mark the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accords in Colombia, PBI Colombia published five testimonial videos featuring accompanied human rights defenders, in which they gave their impressions and reflections on the socio-political violence and armed conflict in Colombia. The videos were disseminated on social networks and published on the blog on International Human Rights Day, achieving wide visibility and reach. Webinars During 2021, webinars and virtual seminars were once again a popular advocacy tool as an alternative to face-to-face events. We continued to have a high level of participation by accompanied defenders in both public and semipublic webinars. One example is the series of webinars PBI held about tackling the lack of guarantees for the exercise of social protest, in which members of Nomadesc, Dh Colombia, CSPP and Ccajar participated. It is also important to note that several of PBI’s projects collaborated on events held at the climate change summit (COP26) that took place in Glasgow in November 2021. The events aimed to draw attention to the work of environmental defenders and the fight against climate change in the various countries that PBI has projects. Diakonia Colombian National Human Rights Award This year PBI Colombia nominated three candidates for the awards. Nomadesc and Daniel Prado were finalists in the categories “Best Collective Process
42
1. The Defending Freedom: Everyone’s Business Campaign is organised by a network of organisations working to denounce arbitrary detentions, judicial persecution and the criminalisation of social protest in Colombia. It includes social, student, cultural, community and human rights organisations, and includes active leadership by CSPP, Ccajar and Dh Colombia, organisations accompanied by PBI Colombia. In 2021, the Campaign carried out coordinated work to confront the illegal use of force as a mechanism of persecution against those who demanded human rights in Colombia through social protest movements. 2. Premio Nacional de Derechos Humanos Colombia (@PremioNalDDHH): tweet, 22 October 2021.
Annual Rerpotl 2021
PBI Colombia
43
