International Institute On Race Equality And Human Rights

THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE ON RACE, EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IS A HUMAN RIGHTS CAPACITY-BUILDING ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS HAND IN HAND WITH LOCAL ACTIVISTS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR ABILITY TO DOCUMENT AND EXPOSE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS RELATED TO RACIAL OR ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION OR DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY. WE ADVOCATE FOR LEGAL AND POLICY REFORM AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, USING STRATEGIC LITIGATION AT THE REGIONAL AND INTERNAITONAL LEVELS, AND ADVOCATE BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON CRITICAL HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES, INCLUDING AT THE UNITED NATIONS AND REGIONAL BODIES.

NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND THE CARIBBEAN RACE AND EQUALITY WORKS IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF OUR COUNTERPARTS TO MONITOR AND DOCUMENT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS COMMITTED AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, WOMEN, CHIDLEN, AFRO-DESCENDANTS AND MEMBERS OF THE LGBTI+ COMMUNITY, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY INCREASING ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE UNIVERSAL SYSTEM.IN NICARAGUA, RACE AND EQUALITY STRENGTHENS NICARAGUAN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS' CAPACITY FOR DOCUMENTATION, LITIGATION AND ADVOCACY BEFORE THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM AND THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM, WITH THE AIM OF GUARANTEEING JUSTICE, COMPREHENSIVE REPARATION AND NON-REPETITION FOR VICTIMS OF STATE REPRESSION. WE ALSO TRAIN WOMEN, INDIGENOUS, AFRO-DESCENDANT AND LGBTI+ LEADERS TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN KEY EVENTS SUCH AS THE OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS.IN MEXICO, RACE AND EQUALITY'S WORK IS CENTERED ON PROMOTING VARIOUS PROCESSES OF TRAINING AND PROVIDING CAPACITY-BUILDING TO CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, WITH THE AIM OF STRENGTHENING THEIR ACTIONS TOWARDS THE DEFENSE AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, AS WELL AS THEIR ADVOCACY EFFORTS WITH STATE INSTITUTIONS AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS TO POSITION AN ANTI-RACIST AGENDA IN PUBLIC POLICY, AND TO RAISE THE VOICE OF LGBTI + PEOPLE. TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS IN MEXICO, WE JOIN FORCES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION AGAINST RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND RELATED FORMS OF INTOLERANCE (CIRDI). TO WHICH MEXICO IS A PARTY. WE ALSO SUPPORT PROMOTIONAL VISITS BY HUMAN RIGHTS RAPPORTEURS TO THE COUNTRY, AS WELL AS THE PRESENTATION OF THEMATIC REPORTS TO DIFFERENT BODIES OF THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM AND THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM.IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, RACE AND EQUALITY WORKS WITH LOCAL PARTNERS TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF AFRO-DESCENDANT AND DOMINICAN-HAITIAN ORGANIZATIONS AND PROMOTE RACIAL JUSTICE THROUGH TRAINING, DOCUMENTATION AND STRENGTHENING THE RACIAL LITIGATION WORK OF THE LAWYERS. ADDITIONALLY, RACE AND EQUALITY WORKS WITH THE LGBTI ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING TRAINING ON HUMAN RIGHTS. WITH OUR TECHNICAL SUPPORT, TRANSSA HAS PREPARED REPORTS ON THE SITUATION OF AFRO-LGBTI+ PEOPLE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.IN HONDURAS, RACE AND EQUALITY WORKS TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF AFRO-DESCENDANT AND GARIFUNA ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE RACIAL JUSTICE IN HONDURAS, THROUGH TRAINING, DOCUMENTATION AND STRENGTHENING THE WORK OF ADVOCATES IN RACIAL LITIGATION.

SOUTH AMERICA RACE AND EQUALITY WORKS IN SOUTH AMERICA TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF OUR COUNTERPARTS TO MONITOR AND DOCUMENT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS COMMITTED AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, WOMEN, CHIDLEN, AFRO-DESCENDANTS AND MEMBERS OF THE LGBTI COMMUNITY, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY INCREASING ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE UNIVERSAL SYSTEM.IN BRAZIL, RACE AND EQUALITY WORKS TO STRENGTHEN AND BUILD ALLIANCES BETWEEN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS. OUR GOAL IS TO STRENGTHEN GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ACTORS AND PROMOTE STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN THEIR COUNTRIES. LIKEWISE, WE WORK TOGETHER WITH PARTNERS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR LEGAL ACTION IN CASES OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. WE ACT STRATEGICALLY TO CONNECT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE GROUPS THEY DEFEND, OBSERVING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION. FINALLY, RACE AND EQUALITY TOGETHER WITH ITS PARTNERS SEEK TO PREPARE REPORTS AND DOSSIERS ON THE SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY WITH STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS SO THAT THEY CAN GUIDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF NATIONAL PUBLIC POLICIES, VISIBILITY OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, DEMOCRATIC STRENGTHENING AND, IN ADDITION, OFFER AN OVERVIEW OF THE BRAZILIAN SCENARIO AT REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.IN COLOMBIA, RACE AND EQUALITY PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO OUR PARTNERS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR STRATEGIC LITIGATION, ADVOCACY, RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, AND COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES. WE PROMOTE THE STRATEGIC USE OF LITIGATION TO OVERCOME HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, FROM TRAINING OUR PARTNERS IN THE USE OF LEGAL TOOLS AVAILABLE TO GENERATING DISCOURSE ON STRATEGIES FOR LEGAL ADVOCACY. AT THE DOMESTIC LEVEL, WE PROMOTE OUR PARTNERS' VISIBILITY AND PRESENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL PUBLIC POLICIES OR LEGAL CHANGES THAT ARE PERTINENT TO THEM. AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, WE PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN SPHERES OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEBATE OFFERED BY THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE VARIOUS ORGANS OF THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM, TO SUBMIT FORMAL COMPLAINTS OR PRESENT REPORTS ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN COLOMBIA. RACE AND EQUALITY'S RACIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM IN COLOMBIA HAS BEEN DEVELOPING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH, ADVOCACY AND STRATEGIC LITIGATION ACTIONS AIMED AT GUARANTEEING THE RIGHTS OF AFRO-DESCENDANT HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, VICTIMS OF THE ARMED CONFLICT, BELONGING TO ETHNIC COMMUNITIES AND VICTIMS OF RACIST POLICE VIOLENCE. OUR HUMAN MOBILITY PROGRAM IN COLOMBIA AIMS TO PROMOTE ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE IN SITUATIONS OF HUMAN MOBILITY, AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT FORMS OF VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION IN COLOMBIA, THROUGH IMPLEMENTING ACTIVITIES FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, ADVOCACY, INTERNATIONAL LITIGATION AND STRENGTHENING THE TECHNICAL CAPACITIES OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS. FINALLY, RACE AND EQUALITY HAS A THEMATIC LINE FOCUSED ON LESBIANS, GAYS, BISEXUALS AND TRANS PEOPLE, WHICH SEEKS TO INFLUENCE THE GENERATION OF STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO OVERCOME HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN COLOMBIA FROM A DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE.IN PERU, RACE AND EQUALITY PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORTS PERUVIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK TO PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF LGBTI+ AND AFRO-DESCENDANT PEOPLE, IN ORDER TO ADVOCATE AND INFLUENCE THE COUNTRY'S PUBLIC POLICIES IN FAVOR OF PROTECTING THESE POPULATIONS, AS WELL AS ADVOCATING BEFORE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS. WE PROMOTE OUR PARTNERS' PARTICIPATION IN SPACES FOR ADVOCACY AND REGIONAL DEBATE, SUCH AS THE OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS AND THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM, WHERE WE MAINLY MANAGE THEMATIC HEARINGS BEFORE THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (IACHR) AND PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. LIKEWISE, AT THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM OF THE UNITED NATIONS (UN), WE URGE THE PARTICIPATION OF ALLIES IN SPACES SUCH AS: THE COMMITTEE THAT MONITORS THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION (CERD) AND THE COMMITTEE THAT MONITORS THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW). WE STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITIES OF AFRO-DESCENDANT AND LGBTI+ ORGANIZATIONS TO DESIGN AND PREPARE REPORTS AND ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND IN INTERNATIONAL SPACES. WE SEEK STRATEGIC ALLIANCES WITH ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN RIGHTS, SUCH AS CEDEMUNEP (THE CENTER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BLACK PERUVIAN WOMEN)AN AFRO-PERUVIAN ORGANIZATION THAT ADVOCATES FOR THE RIGHTS OF AFRO-PERUVIAN WOMEN AND FIGHTS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION, EXCLUSION AND MARGINALIZATIONAND INVOLVE THEM IN SPACES FOR REGIONAL DEBATE, SUCH AS THE INTER-AMERICAN FORUM AGAINST DISCRIMINATION, AN ANNUAL RACE AND EQUALITY EVENT.