In December 2021, the Auschwitz Institute’s Latin American Program (LAP) held a series of three virtual working meetings to mark the conclusion of the current phase of its technical assistance project with components in Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. In these meetings, which were organized in collaboration with each of the partnered governments, members of the project team presented the results of the third phase of the LAP project covering the current migration crisis in Latin America.
The third phase of the Atrocity Prevention and the Latin American Migration Crisis project continued the working agenda and the outcomes of the 2019 and 2020 annual project periods and was supported by German Federal Foreign Office funding through the zivik funding program of the ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen). This project aimed to strengthen and consolidate prevention mechanisms at national and regional levels in Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. These mechanisms are configured to effectively identify and respond to risk factors through collaborative multi-sector strategies.
The events welcomed the participation of 75 attendees in total. Participants represented the Offices of the Ombudsperson in Colombia and Ecuador, the Prosecutor for the Rights of the Citizens (Procuradoria Federal dos Direitos do Cidadão) in Brazil. Officials from Ministries of Culture and other government bodies also joined with representatives from international organizations and institutions focused on human rights were also in attendance.
In Colombia, the third phase project outcomes centered on the development of an Information Guide document that includes care mechanisms for migrants and refugees in the country. During the virtual closing event, the AIPG project team officially presented this Information Guide, which enabled institutions such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and Derecho a No Obedecer to share relevant materials, including a social media campaign based on the contents of the Guide, with their audiences.
The project also produced the design of a risk map that systematically depicts the situation of migrants and refugees in Colombia. Notably, the Colombian Observatory on Migrations of the country’s National Planning Department decided to include this risk map as part of its monitoring toolkit.
In Ecuador, the Auschwitz Institute developed a classroom handbook for educators and students called “Rights on the Move“ (Los derechos en movimiento) as a result of its technical assistance project. This resource is designed to assist teachers in working with students aged 9 to 14. The materials include an introductory module for teachers and eight worksheets that contain classroom activities corresponding with basic, media, and superior educational levels in Ecuador. AIPG is currently working to incorporate the materials into a toolkit for local schools.
As a part of its third phase, the AIPG project on atrocity prevention and the Latin American migration crisis expanded its activities to Brazil. The first segment of the project to be offered and operated in Portuguese, the working agenda in Brazil looked to replicate the research and baseline study components of previous project activities in Colombia and Ecuador. Similarly, the success of the Atrocity Prevention and the Latin American Migration Crisis online courses organized in 2019 and 2020 for Colombian and Ecuadorian participants led to the inclusion of this modality in the new Brazilian component of the project.
In Brazil, the baseline study was conducted with a focus on Boa Vista, Roraima, a critical geographic area in Brazil. This led to the development of a report on the situation of young migrants in the city. The document collects and systematizes evidence related to the status of young migrants, while also discussing the necessary actions and resources for their protection.
As a whole, the latest edition of Atrocity Prevention and the Latin American Migration Crisis in Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil and its previous phases represent an opportunity to highlight and reflect on the relationship between the fundamental concepts of atrocity prevention and the contemporary Latin American migration crisis. The project also provided a space to equip and empower participating officials to further incorporate atrocity prevention concepts and practices into their daily work, as it related to the migration crisis.