Two Colombian women who won in 2021 and 2022 the International Award for Women of Courage awarded by the Department of State will be in Washington this week to receive the recognition in person.
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The award ceremony will be at the White House and will be attended by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and First Lady Jill Biden.
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Is about Josephine Klingerrecognized for her work in 2022, and mayerlis angarita during 2021. Although the recognition had already been announced in those years, the delivery ceremony could not be held due to covid-19 restrictions. Both, along with the other award winners in those respective years, will join the 11 honorees of this 2023.
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The award, which has been given since 2007, “recognizes women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength and leadership in the defense of peace, justice, human rights, equality and gender equity, and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity and often at enormous risk and personal sacrifice“.
In the case of the Klinger, the State Department maintains that she is a brave Afro-Colombian defender of human rights and the environment from Nuquí, Chocó, who has dedicated her life to working on these issues and at high risk to her safety. staff.
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“Ms. Klinger Zúñiga founded Mano Cambiada (“Changed Hand”) in 2006 to promote sustainable ecotourism in Chocó and empower the local community in the region historically affected by conflict along the Pacific coast. Her dedication to Fighting environmental threats to rural economic stability is grounded in her inspiration to defend the dignity and rights of marginalized communities, break down barriers to promote positive change and empower Afro-Colombian and indigenous people, and teach a new generation of leaders how to manage environmental resources and cultural property to produce sustainable income and keep it away from illegal armed groups and drug trafficking organizations,” says the State Department.
For his part, Angarita, affirms the US Foreign Ministry, has courageously promoted peace and human rights in Colombiaworking to improve the security, livelihoods and resilience of countless women leaders, victims of conflict in their community.
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“Finding healing in storytelling after her own mother was forcibly disappeared during the conflict in Colombia, she founded the civil society organization Narrar para vivir, which now serves more than 800 women victims of the conflict. In addition, after the most recent attempt on her life, she engaged the highest levels of the Colombian government to promote a comprehensive action plan to prevent violence against women leaders in her community Her constructive engagement with 27 government entities, society civil society and the international community has been key to the plan’s success and has driven it to become a model for the protection of human rights defenders throughout Colombia,” notes the State Department when describing its work and achievements.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
EL TIEMPO correspondent
Washington
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