Human rights defender's story: Cris Cats, from Nicaragua
'They can take our homes, our titles or our surnames, but the hope and joy that sustain us, and with which we continue to work, still remain.'
“After Covid, we will have learnt many things, and one of them is health: to take care of ourselves and value our body more, to find a way to take care of ourselves in a natural and organic manner”.
We first interviewed Romel, a Mayan human rights defender and member of the Regional Indigenous and Popular Council of Xpujil, in 2018. Today on Earth Day, we’re really glad to share a follow-up story about Romel’s work for the protection of nature, land and the rights of indigenous peoples and minority populations in Mexico.
In this video, Romel reflects on the impact of the Covid pandemic on human rights defenders’ work, and its influence on large touristic projects such as the Mayan Train. This megaproject will bring huge consequences for the indigenous populations and minority communities that live in the territory and therefore, many organisations, as well as Romel, are fighting against its construction and for the preservation of land and our environment.
'They can take our homes, our titles or our surnames, but the hope and joy that sustain us, and with which we continue to work, still remain.'
Sila, a German college student, and Esma, an Uyghur from Frankfurt, co-founded the Uyghur Youth Initiative to advocate for Uyghur rights. Through protests, social media, and educational campaigns, they aim to raise awareness of the Uyghurs' plight and empower both Uyghur and allied youth in Germany.
'My passion is the defence of the right to land and territory,' says Lourdes Gómez, a land rights defender and professor working on issues affecting Indigenous women defenders and the impacts of palm oil production.