PBI has accompanied Berenice Celeyta since 1999. NOMADESC provides advice and support to indigenous and Afro-Colombian groups, small-scale farmers organisations, and trade unions in south west Colombia. Investigating powerful multinational corporations and supporting vulnerable communities in their struggles to defend their rights is extremely dangerous. Carrying out this work leaves Berenice Celeyta and her colleagues very vulnerable – they have received death threats, sensitive material has been stolen and their phones have been illegally tapped.

In 2011, PBI provided 63 days of physical accompaniment to Berenice and two of her colleagues. PBI volunteers accompanied these inspirational women during their visits to rural areas providing protection while they carried out their most vital and dangerous work, including human rights training for indigenous communities. PBI volunteers visited NOMADESC’s office in Cali twice a week and took part in 18 meetings with the organisation, helping them develop a strategy for prevention and long term protection.

“PBI’s international accompaniment is the most effective form of protection NOMADESC could hope for.” Berenice Celeyta

We trained 118 women human rights defenders (WHRDs) in Nepal in 2011. Through participatory workshops we shared our risk analysis tools and provided practical help and advice on protection mechanisms. The majority of workshop participants were from marginalised communities. Our workshops provided a forum for them to share experiences and ask members of the international community for support.

Each year we organise speaker tours for women and men human rights defenders, enabling them to travel to Europe and North America to raise international awareness about, and support for, their important work. These tours empower defenders to develop and build relationships with key allies ranging from parliamentarians to grassroots activists, and gain much needed political, moral and financial support.

Local people in the rural community of Zacapa, Guatemala, formed APMG to protect their mountain from logging, monoculture, and large-scale cattle farming. In 2010 eight APMG members faced trumped up criminal charges designed to hamper the organisation’s work. These were dismissed by a judge, but threats and attempts to intimidate and silence members continued unabated. The risks facing APMG and four other accompanied organisations increased dramatically, leading us to activate our support network. We provided detailed information to key audiences including diplomatic staff, parliamentarians, activists and authorities and suggested actions they could take to try to defuse the situation. As a result, representatives of various embassies attended an AMPG press conference and visited the region to show their support for members of AMPG. The Human Rights Ombudsman in Guatemala also expressed concern in a formal letter to the Police Commissioner following pressure from European parliamentarians.