By: Lisa Markovits
On April 6, 2021, Pa’Arriba Foundation’s local chapter, Fundación Pa’Arriba Ecuador signed a formal agreement with the national Human Rights Secretariat of Ecuador to expand its programs in the country. We are convinced that our alliance will make our work in violence prevention even more effective, by allowing the foundation to provide even greater support to the vulnerable populations of the country and their immediate family members.
The speeches offered by both candidates in the country’s runoff elections on Sunday, April 11 show that there has never been a better time than now for this incredible validation of our existing Neighborly Conversations program, which since November 2017 has provided support spaces for anyone needing to talk about what keeps them up at night. The country is ripe for joining forces across communities and bridging political differences to surpass the numerous simultaneous crises (financial, health, mental health, violence, etc.) it is facing. And thanks to this exciting agreement, we can make a real difference.
The agreement will also support us as we continue to develop what we hope will become an indispensable online resource for anyone in one of four main vulnerable populations – and the people who love them – to find support at their fingertips. It will serve as a portal to the Secretariat’s permanent team of specialists who are available to guide victims of violence to finding the help they need, thus fulfilling an important need for our project by providing appropriate referral processes.
We would like to express our deep gratitude to:
- Minister Cecilia Chacón for believing in our cause and our innovative approach to violence prevention
- The personnel of the Human Rights Secretariat for all of their support
- Our volunteers, whose altruistic contributions to our work for years has brought us to this point
- @robalinolaw for their advice that has allowed us to reach this agreement
Reaching this point represents both a beginning and an end, a great achievement for the many people who have united in a common cause: building a community of peace.
“A dream one dreams alone is only a dream. A dream one dreams together is a dream that becomes reality.”
For more information, see the Human Rights Secretariat’s video of the agreement signing here and press release here (in Spanish).
