On October 29, Governor Cristina Bautista Taquinas, the leader of the semi-autonomous Indigenous reservation of Nasa Tacueyó, and four unarmed Indigenous Guards – Asdrubal Cayapu, Heliodoro Finscue, José Gerardo Soto and James Wilfredo Soto – were killed in an attack by illegal armed groups. Five other members of the Indigenous Read more…
On November 30, the Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Projected posted, “The day before yesterday we accompanied CCDA Verapaz to visit the communities of Xyaal Kobee and Xa Jobche in the municipality of Cobán.” PBI-Guatemala began accompanying the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (CCDA), a campesino organization that accompanies and advises mostly Read more…
The Union of Workers of the Petroleum Industry (Unión Sindical Obrera de la Industria del Petróleo or USO) rejects fracking. On November 28, Colombia Informa tweeted (and USO retweeted), “Tonight, in #Bucaramanga, overwhelming majority of the National Assembly of the Workers Union @usofrenteobrero voted against fracking.” The USO’s Twitter page Read more…
Steve Law and Evelyn Jones from Kennetcook, Nova Scotia were Peace Brigades International volunteers in Colombia in 1998-99. On March 26, 1999, the head of the largest paramilitary organization in Colombia issued a death threat against international workers who were providing human rights protection and humanitarian aid to communities displaced Read more…
On November 27, the Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Project posted on its Facebook page, “Today we accompanied the BDH [the Human Rights Law Firm] in the first declaration hearing of General Mendoza García in the accusation of genocide and duties against humanity against the Ixil people.” PBI-Guatemala adds, “The defendant participated Read more…
On November 27, the Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project posted, “PBI accompanied the activities of the Codigo DH Gobixha AC office in Amuzgos within the framework of the conference against violence against women.” PBI-Mexico notes that this involved visiting the community of Santa María Ipalapa (about 12 kilometres from San Pedro Read more…
The Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project has posted, “On November 17, PBI-Honduras observed a self-consultation of the municipality of Namasigüe, Choluteca, which was carried out with the technical support of our accompanied organization, CEHPRODEC.” PBI-Honduras adds, “According to the final vote count, 97% of the residents rejected the installation of mining Read more…
In his recent address to the United Nations session titled Prevention is better than cure: exploring best strategies by States to prevent attacks on human rights defenders (co-organized by Peace Brigades International), the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst made some notable observations. Forst Read more…
Murray Thomson, who helped to found Peace Brigades International in 1981, was a regular presence at protests against CANSEC, including the one above in May 2018. He passed away in May 2019 at 96 years of age. Peace Brigades International-Canada has endorsed the #NoWar2020: Divest, Disarm, Demilitarize gathering that will Read more…
On November 26, Peace Brigades International tweeted, “Don’t miss our event this afternoon at the #UNForumBHR at 3pm, where the 2019 Human Rights & Business Award for outstanding work addressing the #HumanRights impacts of business will be awarded!” The PBI tweet includes a web-link to Prevention is better than cure: Read more…