Region: Latin America
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Manabí: where culinary heritage becomes a path to the future
Manabí, on Ecuador’s Pacific coast, has been designated World Region of Gastronomy 2026 by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). This prestigious title is a first in the Americas. But the recognition is more than a title – it honors the knowledge and dedication of women cooks, farmers, and fishers who…
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Recognition for our fight for LGBTIQ+ rights in Bolivia
During this year’s Pride in La Paz, Bolivia, two Hivos colleagues received a special award in recognition of our long-standing commitment to LGBTIQ+ rights in the country. “As Hivos, we actively contributed,” said Eliot, who accepted the award along with Lorena. “We set up a large stage and put Pride flags along the entire route.…
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“Women like me aren’t expected to leave the house, let alone travel the world to fight for our rights”
As a young woman with a disability, Keylin Ivani Escalante Vargas has faced many barriers to education, employment and basic health care services. Joining the We Lead program was transformational for her because it gave her the tools to fight for her rights. Keylin is one of the Feminist 30 Under 30, a campaign that…
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Amazonian communities fighting for territorial and nature rights
Agro-extractivist settlements in the Brazilian Amazon combine agriculture with the sustainable use of forest resources, creating livelihood for local communities while conserving nature. With climate change and nature-harming activities threatening their way of life, the inhabitants of the Amazonian Agro-extractive Settlement Project (PAE) Lago Grande, are standing strong. A coalition of around 155 communities is…
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Un compromiso colectivo con las voces afrocolombianas e indígenas en Colombia
En Colombia, ser defensor o defensora de derechos humanos es una labor de altísimo riesgo. En 2024, el país registró el mayor número de asesinatos de defensores de derechos humanos en el mundo. Según Front Line Defenders, se documentaron 157 casos, junto con 88 ataques y una preocupante tasa de impunidad del 90%. Quienes defienden…
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A collective commitment to Afro-Colombian and Indigenous voices in Colombia
In Colombia, being a human rights defender is very risky business. In 2024, the country tallied the highest number of murders of human rights defenders in the world. According to Front Line Defenders, 157 cases were recorded, together with 88 documented attacks and a worrying 90 percent impunity rate. Those who defend the land, natural…
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Reclaiming power over Amazonian media narratives
Some Indigenous communities in the Amazon live in remote areas, where access to news, information and essential services can be limited. While a handful of powerful families with ties to politics and the agro-industry (and other companies that put profit above nature) monopolize the Brazilian mainstream media, the independent media platform Tapajós de Fato speaks…
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Going against the current for social and environmental protection in the Amazon
Piracema is an ancient Tupi language word for the season when fish swim long distances upstream to find calm waters where they can lay their eggs. It inspired the name of the VCA program’s coalition Na Piracema das Mudanças Climáticas: women and young people in the Brazilian Amazon “going against the current” to address social…
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Brazil’s Indigenous movement mobilizes for climate justice
Indigenous peoples are the original inhabitants of the Brazilian Amazon, comprising about 180 groups (and 305 groups in the whole of Brazil), each with distinct languages, traditions, and social structures. Together, they total around 1.7 million people, or 0.8% of Brazil’s population. Indigenous peoples and their lands form an important protective shield for the flora…
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Reflecting on Abrelatam/Condatos 2025: The transformative power of communities and data
The twelfth edition of Abrelatam/ConDatos was held in La Paz, Bolivia, with the participation of civil society organizations, activists, researchers, journalists, academics, government officials, the private sector, and individuals who believe in the transformative power of data to highlight inequalities, defend civic spaces, and advocate for evidence-based human rights. By Gabriela Melgar, Regional Communications Officer,…
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Reflexiones sobre Abrelatam/ConDatos 2025: El poder transformador de las comunidades y los datos
La duodécima edición de Abrelatam/ConDatos se llevó a cabo en La Paz, Bolivia, con la participación de organizaciones de la sociedad civil, activistas, personas investigadoras, periodistas, académicas, funcionarias de gobierno, representantes del sector privado y personas comprometidas con el poder transformador de los datos para visibilizar desigualdades, defender los espacios cívicos e incidir por los…
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What art reminds us about change
Finding connection, purpose, and power in an art gallery in San José, Costa Rica By Tanja Lubbers, Regional Director, Hivos Latin America Recently, I was invited to visit a small art exhibit in downtown San José. I said yes, grateful for the distraction. Lately, my days have been filled with budget cuts and the crushing…