PGO - Human Rights for Peace

OVERVIEW

Despite long-standing institutional and social mechanisms to ensure human rights for all, Colombia faces significant challenges preventing human rights violations, protecting human rights defenders (HRDs) from harm and threat, and delivering effective response. Human Rights for Peace (HR4P), a five-year activity from 2023 to 2028, will tackle these challenges and contribute to enhance peace and stability in Colombia by improving the effectiveness of national, regional, and local systems and actors to prevent human rights violations, protect HRDs, and coordinate responses to violations.

Recognizing the importance of developing locally led and sustainable solutions, HR4P is led by a consortium of local non-governmental organizations. Fundación Ideas para la Paz (FIP), Fundación Paz y Reconciliación (PARES), Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz (INDEPAZ), Pastoral Social de Colombia and Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres, will work together with USAID in a peer-to-peer relationship to implement HR4P. This partnership will engage with a wide range of civil society partners, private sector actors, ethnic authorities, and Government of Colombia (GOC) counterparts.

HR4P will focus its efforts in 20 municipalities in five regions of Colombia with prevalence of human rights violations, including: Bajo Cauca, Caquetá, Catatumbo, Norte del Cauca, Nariño, and Valle del Cauca.

PRIORITIES

prevention
HR4P will enhance mechanisms to prevent human rights violations by supporting interventions to improve coordination, information sharing, and knowledge management, among GOC entities, private sector actors, and affected communities.

protection
HR4P will strengthen institutional protection and community-led self-protection mechanisms to safeguard individuals, local communities, and marginalized populations, including but not limited to Afro-Colombians, displaced persons, environmental activists, Indigenous peoples, HRDs, trade unionists, women, and youth.

response
HR4P will strengthen institutional response mechanisms to human rights violations by fostering collaboration among various institutional and social actors, including different USAID Activities.

ANTICIPATED RESULTS

• More targeted and effective human rights data management and information systems improve protection and prevention.

• Improved coordination mechanisms and increased capacities of nongovernmental actors, including the private sector and civil society, to perform actions for the prevention of human rights violations and holding the GOC accountable for addressing human rights violations.

• Improved coordination between GOC protection mechanisms and strengthened individual and collective protection strategies at national, regional, and municipal levels.

• HRDs in emergency situations supported via a Rapid Response Fund.

• Strengthened institutional response for more effective human rights prevention, protection, and response mechanisms.

• Collaborative learning and coordinated programmatic adaptation to strengthen human rights prevention, protection, and response mechanisms.