ABColombia is supporting a campaign to have this year’s Nobel Peace Prize awarded to human rights defenders worldwide. Peace Brigades International, an observer member of ABColombia, and a leading NGO working to protect organisations, human rights defenders and communities at risk, has written to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, nominating the global community of human rights defenders (HRDs) for the prize.

The nomination letter has been signed by more than 200 organisations around the world, including ABColombia.

The letter quotes from the late Former Secretary-General to the United Nations, Kofi Annan, who said:

To stand up for human rights requires courage, perseverance, vigilance and a strong foundation of knowledge and evidence. We need to be vigilant in the protection of human rights defenders, for when the defenders’ rights are violated, all our rights are injured.

According to the letter:

HRDs who suffer disproportionately are those activists working at grassroots and community levels, in isolated regions and from marginalised populations, who lack networks and resources to command international attention.

This prize would therefore go a long way to raising the profile of these courageous individuals and mark a milestone in recognising their work.