Poised between dreams of peace and horrors of war, between hopes for democracy and fears of repression, Colombia is experiencing a profound moment of political possibility. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Centro Pazífico (Pacific Human Rights Center) in Cali, and take a stand for human rights in Colombia Since the beginning of the electoral year in March, political violence in Colombia has increased dramatically. Death threats, the primary form of political violence, have increased by 193% according to the Electoral Observation Mission. Acts of aggression and assassination attempts have also significantly increased. Centro Pazífico organizations in Colombia have been on the front lines of recent mobilizations. These include the huge strikes of 2019 and 2021 that turned millions of people into the streets across the country, the largest such demonstrations since the 1970s. That is one of the many reasons why Centro Pazífico, located in Cali, plays an important role in Colombia today and tomorrow. In this moment, there is an urgent need for the Centro to relocate to a larger and more secure location.

Centro Pazífico provides a base and emergency lodging for the most essential and vulnerable grassroots movements and human rights defenders in Southwest Colombia, the region with the most political violence. It has been an important home and emergency aid distribution point during demonstrations and strikes.

Right now, the Centro is going through a transition. At the very time that Centro Pazífico coordinators in Cali are offering support and protection to threatened social leaders, they, themselves, are being threatened. We have recently closed the second floor of the Centro while we raise money for a new location. The current Centro Pazífico is located in a working-class area that is several blocks away from any major streets, in an area without a lot of business activity. While it has served us well this first year of existence, we need a bigger location in a more secure area.

We’ve identified a new location in Cali and are able to make this important move with your help!

With your support, we can re-locate and provide shelter for human rights defenders in the Pacific region of Colombia for at least twelve months. 

Your donations will be used:

• To cover the monthly rent at the Centro
• To cover monthly utilities at the Centro
• To secure at least twelve months’ access to a safe space for human rights defenders under threat

Help us cover the costs of securing this space:

$21 pays for one day of emergency lodging at the Centro and provides electricity & wifi

$146 secures one week of emergency lodging at the Centro and provides electricity & wifi

$584 secures one month of emergency lodging at the Centro and provides electricity & wifi

Everything counts! Help us meet our fundraising goal by July 2022.

June is likely to see increased levels of political violence & repression in Colombia, deepening a humanitarian crisis that’s already forcibly displaced millions of people and a rate of one politically-motivated killing per day. Help us meet our goal to secure a new shelter for Colombian human rights defenders under threat by police and paramilitaries.

Here’s to Peace and Justice for Colombia and the world in 2022!

 Centro Pazífico is a project supported by Alliance for Global Justice, AZPROZONAC (collective farm and affiliate of FENSUAGRO agricultural workers union federation), REDDHFIC (Francisco Isaías Cifuentes Human Rights Network), CONAFRO (National Coordination of Afro-descendent Communities and Organizations), and Camino Común.

Centro Pazífico is a fiscally-sponsored project of Alliance for Global Justice.  The purpose of the Center is to provide office, meeting, and event space for regional popular movements, and short- and medium-term lodging for human rights accompaniment and threatened social leaders.