A year ago today Bessy Ferrera was murdered. Bessy was a brave trans woman and activist from Honduras. She dared to stand up for her human rights in a society that systematically violates them. A society that excludes and discriminates against LGBTIQ people. Instead of respect and recognition, she got bullets. And she is not […]
The Covid-19 pandemic not only affects the health of Indigenous communities, it also exacerbates existing threats to their territories and resources. Even though the Indigenous communities have adopted voluntary self-isolation, the invasion and destruction of their lands continues. This spreads the virus further, while violating their territorial and human rights. Hivos, through the All Eyes […]
This week, George Floyd’s funeral service was held in Houston, in the United States. The videos of his killing at the hands of police officers have ignited worldwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism. From Cape Town to Minneapolis and from Sao Paolo to Amsterdam. Hundreds of thousands of people are expressing their anger, […]
In the run-up to IDAHOT on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, we’re sharing stories from the countries where Hivos is committed to the LGBT community. In more than 25 countries, we work with LGBT organizations and activists. That collaboration often goes back decades. Slowly but surely, we are working on […]
By Paula Bernardi (Country Coordinator Brazil) and Daniel Torre (Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator) Deforestation and lack of protection are doubling the vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples and local communities The COVID-19 pandemic has made one thing very clear: we are all connected. The outbreak is confronting us worldwide with health risks and changes in our social […]
The spread of COVID-19 is increasing worldwide. In Latin America, where developments are about two weeks behind Europe, they’re holding their breath. We spoke to our colleague in Costa Rica, Women’s Empowerment Program Development Manager Manine Arends, about her concerns and what lies ahead. “Measures to halt the spread of the disease vary enormously here […]
2020 will go down in history as the year that put a hold on daily life around the globe. We have an opportunity to make sure it will also be remembered as the year in which the fight for more inclusive, transparent and green societies gained a new and inspired push. The actions that we […]
Dear friends of Hivos, The COVID-19 crisis is confronting us all with health risks, social changes, and an uprooted daily life at an incredible speed. We can only try to understand how this is disrupting lives in countries that may have a fragile health system, and where the exact spread and consequences of the virus […]
LGBT+ people in Guatemala are frequently discriminated against in their daily lives. Most political parties do little to change that. In the battle for votes, they call out loudly in favor of the “traditional family” as defined by the conservative Christian majority. They have no problem with the fact that they’re excluding and stigmatizing parts […]
November 20 is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is dedicated to the victims of transphobia who have been killed as a result of hatred and fear of trans people, as well as to remembering the ongoing violence suffered by this community. Unfortunately, this year’s balance is anything but positive. We are dismayed at the […]