




The program’s official launching was attended by Madrid's third Deputy Mayor Mauricio Valiente and the municipality’s spokesperson Rita Maestre. This event also counted with the participation and testimony of several Human Rights Defenders, such as Rudy Estela, from the Ríos Vivos Movement, Carlos Fernández from the Colombian Commission “Justicia y Paz”, and Antonio Montoro, Director of the Foundation. Mundubat (organization coordinating the program in partnership with Madrid City Council).
“We, as local authorities, can intervene to protect human rights and the right to refugee through three areas that constantly demand our attention: supporting human mobility by providing dignified conditions for reception of refugees; strengthening decentralized cooperation programs; and supporting the work of Human Rights Defenders, as this project intends to do. Because there are no rights without its defenders”
Mauricio Valiente, Deputy Mayor of Madrid
Madrid's program for human rights defenders has five main objectives:
[ Go to the program's website ]
On its first edition, the program will focus on the situation of human rights defenders in Colombia. It plans to begin hosting human rights defenders on a regular basis as early as April 2019. The program's website already presents those interested with relevant information, news and highlights on the agenda. It will allow everyone interested to follow its evolution in full transparency in the coming months.
Source : Mundubat and Red ONGd Madrid
The Forum “Cities of Peace: Global Forum on Urban Violence and Education for Coexistence and Peace”, organized in conjunction with the UCLG World Council from 5 to 8 November 2018 is going to provide another opportunity to present this initiative in front of an international audience of local authorities and social movements.