OPINION – Strengthening protection mechanisms for human rights defenders and refugees or exiles for political reasons
The research call “Strengthening protection mechanisms
for human rights defenders and refugees or exiles
"political motives" constitutes an initiative jointly promoted by the Council
Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) and the Catalan Agency for Cooperation
to Development (ACCD), in conjunction with the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) and the
Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). This initiative stems from a commitment
shared goal of strengthening the production of critical and situated knowledge in the face of one
of the most urgent challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean: the growing
vulnerability of human rights defenders and those who have
seen forced to leave their countries for political reasons, in a context
characterized by the escalation of violence, the criminalization of protest,
migration crises and setbacks in rights and guarantees
fundamental.
In this context, the selection of proposals seeks to generate rigorous evidence that
contribute to the design of public policies and the articulation between academia, the
state agencies, civil society organizations and protection networks,
promoting knowledge with the capacity to influence and strengthen security,
access to justice and comprehensive protection for those who play a role
fundamental in the defense of human rights and democracy in the region.
They were opened 55 forms and were finally received 20 complete applications, which
after the technical and formal review, 19 were in a condition to be evaluated
qualitatively by the International Committee to consider the quality, relevance and
coherence of the proposals in accordance with the Call for Proposals.
The evaluation process was carried out by an International Committee composed of 4
Experts from different countries: Gabriel Kessler (Argentina), Isabel Ramos (Ecuador),
Daiana Bruzzone (Argentina) and Martín Echeverría (Mexico)
Based on the entire evaluation process, the list of selected proposals is as follows:
next:
| Authors | Institutional link | Country | Title of the proposal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Andrés García Carvajal, José Fernando Serrano Amaya, Laura Sofía Zambrano Monroy | CO-003 - Vice-Dean's Office for Research, Faculty of Social Sciences - CESO/UNIANDES - Faculty of Social Sciences - University of the Andes | Colombia | Lessons learned from collective protection in Colombia: dialogue between institutions and community experiences. |
| Claudia Calquin, Delia Suárez, Débora Fernández Cárcamo | CL-037 - School of Psychology - USACH - University of Santiago, Chile | Chile | Situated protection for LGBTIQ+ defenders: violence, care and territories |
| Luciana Garcia, Gustavo Miranda Coutinho, Beatriz Diniz Canedo | BR-015 - Faculdade Latinoamericana de Ciências Sociais, Brazil - FLACSO | Brazil | Para além do papel: Analyze critical, intersectional and territorial two mechanisms of protection for people defenders of Human Rights and Nature in Latin America. |
This ruling is irrevocable and cannot be appealed.
Buenos Aires, July 31, 2026
