Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award
Encyclopedia
The Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award is awarded annually by the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Policy Studies
. It is awarded to those advancing the cause of human rights
in the Americas. The Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award commemorates Orlando Letelier
and Ronni Moffitt
, who in 1976 were assassinated in Washington, D.C.
by agents of the Chile
an secret service. It was first presented in 1978.
Institute for Policy Studies
Institute for Policy Studies is a left-wing think tank based in Washington, D.C..It has been directed by John Cavanagh since 1998- History :...
. It is awarded to those advancing the cause of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
in the Americas. The Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award commemorates Orlando Letelier
Orlando Letelier
Marcos Orlando Letelier del Solar was a Chilean economist, Socialist politician and diplomat during the presidency of Socialist President Salvador Allende...
and Ronni Moffitt
Ronni Moffitt
Ronni Moffitt , was a American political activist.-Early Life:She was born in Passaic, New Jersey as Ronni Susan Karpen on January 10, 1951 to Murray and Hilda Karpen. She was the oldest of three children including Harry Karpen and Michael Karpen. Her family owned a restaurant called "Karpen's" and...
, who in 1976 were assassinated in Washington, D.C.
Letelier case
The Letelier case refers to the killing in Washington, D.C. of Orlando Letelier, a Chilean political figure and later United States-based activist, along with his American assistant, Ronni Moffitt...
by agents of the Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an secret service. It was first presented in 1978.
Award recipients
| 1978 | Samuel Rubin Reverend Benjamin Chavis, Jr. |
| 1979 | The Association of Relatives of Disappeared People, Chile Alfred "Skip" Robinson, United League of Mississippi |
| 1980 | The Legal Aid Office of the Archdiocese of San Salvador Reverend William Wipfler, National Council of Churches National Council of Churches The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace... |
| 1981 | Jacobo Timerman Jacobo Timerman Jacobo Timerman was an Argentine publisher, journalist, and author who was persecuted and honored for confronting the atrocities of the Argentine military regime's Dirty War... The Congregation of Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic |
| 1982 | Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns Paulo Evaristo Arns Paulo Evaristo Arns O.F.M. is the Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of São Paulo.-Early life and education:... of São Paulo, Brazil The Infant Formula Action Coalition |
| 1983 | Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) of Argentina Father J. Bryan Hehir, U.S. Catholic Conference United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic... |
| 1984 | Dr. Ramon Custodio, President, Committee for Human Rights in Honduras The Sanctuary Movement Sanctuary movement The Sanctuary Movement was a religious and political campaign that began in the early 1980s to provide safe-haven for Central American refugees fleeing civil conflict... Reverend Charles Harper (Special Recognition Award) |
| 1985 | The Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo (GAM) of Guatemala The Free South Africa Movement Frances Arbour (Special Recognition Award) |
| 1986 | The Vicariate of Solidarity (Chile) Pete Seeger Pete Seeger Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead... |
| 1987 | Bishop Mario Melanio Medina (Paraguay) Washington Office on Latin America Washington Office on Latin America The Washington Office on Latin America is an American non-governmental organization whose stated goal is to promote human rights, democracy and social and economic justice in Latin America and the Caribbean.... |
| 1988 | Radio Soleil (Haiti) Charles L. Clements, M.D. |
| 1989 | The Union of Indigenous Nations of Brazil The National Labor Committee in Support of Democracy and Human Rights in El Salvador National Labor Committee in Support of Human and Worker Rights The National Labor Committee in Support of Human and Worker Rights, commonly known as the NLC, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that investigates human and labor rights abuses committed by U.S. companies producing goods in the developing world... Robert Scherrer (Special Recognition Award) |
| 1990 | The National Human Rights Coordinating Committee of Peru Richard Trumka Richard Trumka Richard Louis Trumka is an organized labor leader in the United States. He was elected President of the AFL-CIO on September 16, 2009, at the labor federation's convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, from 1995 to 2009, and prior to that was... , President, United Mine Workers Union of America United Mine Workers The United Mine Workers of America is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners and coal technicians. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada... Father Jim Felts and Proyecto de Cristo Rey (Special Recognition Award) |
| 1991 | Jorge Gomez Lizarazo, President, Regional Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, Barrancabermeja Barrancabermeja Barrancabermeja is a city and municipality in Santander Department, in northeastern Colombia. It is located on the banks of the Magdalena River in the Middle Magdalena region, 110 km west of Bucaramanga. Founded in 1536, Barrancabermeja is home of the biggest petroleum refinery in Colombia,... , Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... La Mujer Obrera, El Paso, Texas El Paso, Texas El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States... |
| 1992 | Evans Paul Evans Paul Evans Paul, called K-plimo, is a Haitian politician and former president of the Democratic United Committee . He was elected mayor of Port-au-Prince in the 1990 elections that brought Jean-Bertrand Aristide's National Front for Change and Democracy party to power... , Mayor of Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009.... , Haiti Haiti Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island... Sam Buffone and Michael Tigar Michael Tigar Michael E. Tigar is an American criminal defense attorney known for representing controversial clients. He is also a member of the Duke Law School faculty.-Early life and education:... , lawyers for the Letelier-Moffitt Case Saul Landau Saul Landau Saul Landau is journalist, filmmaker, and commentator. He is Professor Emeritus at California State University, Pomona. He is a senior Fellow at and Vice Chair of the Institute for Policy Studies.-Career:... (Special Recognition Award) |
| 1993 | Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia and Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center in Chiapas Chiapas Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las... , Mexico Marian Kramer and the National Welfare Rights Organization |
| 1994 | Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s... (Special Recognition Award) Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras CONAIE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador Ecuador Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border... ) |
| 1995 | Jennifer Harbury Jennifer Harbury Jennifer K. Harbury is an American lawyer, author, and human rights activist.Her personal story, writing, and activism are significant in revealing the complicity of the CIA in human rights abuses, particularly in Central America.... (Special Recognition Award) Rose Johnson, Georgia Project Director of the Center for Democratic Renewal Haitian Human Rights Platform |
| 1996 | Pharis Harvey (Special Recognition Award) Asian Immigrant Women Advocates Leo Valladares |
| 1997 | The Rev. Dr. Mac Charles Jones (Special Recognition Award, posthumously) Sin Fronteras Organizing Projet Alianza Civica |
| 1998 | Rose Sanders Coordinacion Colombia-Europa |
| 1999 | Juan Garces Kensington Welfare Rights Union Kensington Welfare Rights Union The Kensington Welfare Rights Union is a progressive social justice, political action, and advocacy group of, by, and for the poor and homeless operating out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and led by Galen Tyler... |
| 2000 | Oscar Olivera, Coordinator in Defense of Water and Life (Bolivia Bolivia Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America... ) November Coalition November Coalition The November Coalition is a non-profit grassroots organization, founded in 1997, which fights against the War on Drugs and for the rights of the prisoners incarcerated as the effect of that war. It publishes a bulletin called Razor Wire.-Tyrone Brown:... |
| 2001 | 25th Anniversary All prior recipients honored |
| 2002 | Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini (Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast... ) Jobs with Justice Jobs with Justice Jobs with Justice is a national campaign for workers' rights in the United States. It was founded in 1987, and includes both individual members and affiliated organizations.... Naúl Ojeda (Special Recognition Award, posthumously) |
| 2003 | Nancy Sanchez Mendez CASA de Maryland Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as... (Special Recognition Award) |
| 2004 | Seymour Hersh Seymour Hersh Seymour Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters... Military Families Speak Out Military Families Speak Out Military Families Speak Out is a US based anti-Iraq war group.Military Families Speak Out was founded by two military families in November, 2002 to speak out against the planned US invasion of Iraq to try to prevent the invasion.... |
| 2005 | Judge Juan Guzmán Juan Guzmán Tapia Juan Salvador Guzmán Tapia is a retired Chilean judge who gained international recognition for being the first judge to prosecute former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet on human rights charges, after Pinochet's return to Chile following more than a year of house arrest in London, in... Barrios Unidos |
| 2006 | Maher Arar Maher Arar Maher Arar is a telecommunications engineer with dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship who resides in Canada. Arar's story is frequently referred to as "extraordinary rendition" but the U.S. government insisted it was a case of deportation.Arar was detained during a layover at John F... and Center for Constitutional Rights Center for Constitutional Rights Al Odah v. United States:Al Odah is the latest in a series of habeas corpus petitions on behalf of people imprisoned at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The case challenges the Military Commissions system’s suitability as a habeas corpus substitute and the legality, in general, of detention at... Gulf Coast Renewal Campaign |
| 2007 | Senator Gustavo Petro Gustavo Petro Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego is a Colombian politician of the Political Independent movement Progresistas . As a young man he fought with the 19th of April Movement, which later evolved into the Alianza Democrática M-19. He then became active in newly-established Alianza Democrática M-19... (Colombia) Appeal for Redress Appeal for Redress Appeal For Redress is a group of United States military personnel opposed to the Iraq War.The group is sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War , Military Families Speak Out, and Veterans for Peace .... DC Vote (Special Recognition Award) |
| 2008 | Francisco Soberón Francisco Soberón Francisco Ricardo Soberón Garrido is a human rights activist in Peru. In 1983 he founded APRODEH, the non-governmental organization of which he is currently a director. He previously led the National Human Rights Coordinator's Office and was a member of the steering committee of the Coalition for... and the Asociación Pro-Derechos Humanos APRODEH Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos is a Peruvian human rights organization. It was established in 1983 by a group of professionals who had been providing information to Peruvian congressmen involved with the Congressional Human Rights Commission, such as Javier Diez Canseco... (Peru) Indian Workers Congress |
| 2009 | Domestic Workers United La Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería Metálica en El Salvador El Salvador El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America... |
| 2010 | National Day Laborer Organizing Network National Day Laborer Organizing Network The National Day Laborer Organizing Network is an American organization dedicated to improving the lives of day laborers. It was founded in Northridge, California in July 2001 and is based in Los Angeles, California... (NDLON) Honduras Human Rights Platform Guatemalan Police Archives |
| 2011 | Wisconsin Progressive Movement Bethlehem, The Migrant's Shelter (Mexico) |