Carmen Casco de Lara Castro

Overview

Carmen Casco de Lara Castro born Asunción, Paraguay June 17, 1918 (d. 1993). Paraguayan human rights advocate. Founding president Commission for the Defense of Human Rights; resigned from Chamber of Deputies in protest of violation of presidential term limits, 1977.

Quotations

“Let us turn [Paraguay] into a country without political prisoners, where justice will reign so fairly that it will shelter everyone, without the cancer of torture carried out by men who get drunk on another person’s pain, as if they had taken drugs. With Christian love we should put an end to hate if we don’t want it to have power over Paraguayans. May God grant that violence finds no inspiration in Paraguay. We must combat treasonous assaults in our country with justice and not with violence.” (Dec. 15, 1977 resignation speech; photo Wikipedia)

Carmen Casco de Lara Castro born Asunción, Paraguay June 17, 1918 (d. 1993). Paraguayan human rights advocate. Founding president Commission for the Defense of Human Rights; resigned from Chamber of Deputies in protest of violation of presidential term limits, 1977.

Quotations

“Let us turn [Paraguay] into a country without political prisoners, where justice will reign so fairly that it will shelter everyone, without the cancer of torture carried out by men who get drunk on another person’s pain, as if they had taken drugs. With Christian love we should put an end to hate if we don’t want it to have power over Paraguayans. May God grant that violence finds no inspiration in Paraguay. We must combat treasonous assaults in our country with justice and not with violence.” (Dec. 15, 1977 resignation speech; photo Wikipedia)

Carmen Casco de Lara Castro born Asunción, Paraguay June 17, 1918 (d. 1993). Paraguayan human rights advocate. Founding president Commission for the Defense of Human Rights; resigned from Chamber of Deputies in protest of violation of presidential term limits, 1977.

Quotations

“Let us turn [Paraguay] into a country without political prisoners, where justice will reign so fairly that it will shelter everyone, without the cancer of torture carried out by men who get drunk on another person’s pain, as if they had taken drugs. With Christian love we should put an end to hate if we don’t want it to have power over Paraguayans. May God grant that violence finds no inspiration in Paraguay. We must combat treasonous assaults in our country with justice and not with violence.” (Dec. 15, 1977 resignation speech; photo Wikipedia)

Violeta Chamorro

Overview

Violeta Chamorro born Rivas, Nicaragua October 10, 1929. “The Great Conciliator.” Nicaraguan President 1990-96; newspaper publisher. As first female elected president in Americas, ended 12-year-long Nicaraguan civil war; abolished the draft; halved size of army; bought up weapons and buried them in concrete in Peace Plaza.

Quotations

“I have no ideology beyond national ‘reconciliation.’” (Anne-Wil Harzing, International Human Resource Management, p. 294; photo escademic)

Alicia Cabezudo

Overview

Alicia Cabezudo born Rosario, Argentina October 22, 1957. Leading international peace educator; Italian professor in Argentina; vice-president International Peace Bureau 2010-16.

Quotations

“Peace is not only defined as absence of war and conflict. It is also a dynamic concept that must be apprehended in positive terms linked to the pursuit of social and economic justice in which everyone plays an active part. It represents an everyday attitude of nonviolent rebellion, of peaceful dissent, a firm determination to defend human rights and human dignity.” (“State of Peace Report” 2012; photo ethicseducation)

Berta Cáceres

Overview

Berta Cáceres born La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras March 4, 1973 (d. 2016). Indigenous Lenca environmental activist. Led nonviolent fight against Gualcarque dam; awarded Goldman Environmental Prize, 2015.

Quotations

“Let us wake up, humankind! We’re out of time. We must shake our conscience free of the rapacious capitalism, racism and patriarchy that will only assure our own self-destruction. . . Our Mother Earth, militarized, fenced-in, poisoned, a place where basic rights are systematically violated, demands that we take action. Let us build societies that are able to coexist in a dignified way, in a way that protects life. Let us come together and remain hopeful as we defend and care for the blood of this Earth and of its spirits.” (2015; quote and photo Democracy Now!)

Lydia Cacho

Overview

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro born Mexico City, Mexico April 12, 1963. Mexican journalist, feminist activist against violence to women and girls; arrested for defamation and threatened.

Quotations

"I am not a martyr for human rights—I am an activist and a believer in human rights." (Amnesty Int. US, Spring 2011, p. 9; photo Wikipedia)

Amanda Camilo Ibarra

Overview

Amanda Camilo Ibarra born Putumayo, Colombia April 17, 1972. Peacemaker coordinator of Peaceful Route of Women.

Quotations

"We women of Colombia, we will not continue giving birth sons and daughters for war!" (“Mujeres valorosas,” June 21, 2011)

“War made us booty, as victims, our families torn away, it drove us out of the land, and we inherited despair and tears. Women opted for political negotiation, because we paid too high a price for the violence, war and injustice. It is essential work to rebuild the social fabric." (“Putamayo gives homage to women victims”, Oct. 8, 2010; photo DW.com)

Estela de Carlotto

Overview

Estela Barnes De Carlotto born Buenos Aires, Argentina October 22, 1930. Recipient of UN Human Rights Award, 2004; president of Grandmothers of the Plaza of May.

Quotations

"I wonder myself why I deserve to receive this recognition if I do what I must, which my heart dictates. . . the love, the resistance, the obstacles, the conviction, the commitment, the challenge." (Barcelona Oct. 4, 2005; photo cerro mercedario Feb. 15, 2010)

Amalia Gonzalez Caballero de Castillo Ledon

Overview

Amalia González Caballero de Castillo Ledón born Santander, Tamaulipas, Mexico August 18, 1898 (d. 1986). Mexican stateswoman and women's rights leader; poet and playwright. First woman in presidential cabinet position. Mexican delegate to San Francisco Conference on founding of United Nations, where she insisted on equality for women, 1945. Signed Act of Chapultepec and Rio Treaty, forging closer relations among countries of the Americas, 1945. First Mexican delegate to UN Commission on Human Rights, 1946-50. Chairperson, InterAmerican Women’s Committee for Democracy, 1947.

Quotations

"I trust the ever-lively encouragement of women.” (photo IFE Instituto Federal Electoral)

Emilia Castro de Barish

Overview

Emilia Castro de Barish born San José, Costa Rica April 27, 1916. Costa Rican diplomat and human rights advocate; led creation of UN Human Rights Commission 1946, UN University of Peace 1980, Culture of Peace 1999; on UN Security Council 1971.

Quotations

On peace: "It required a profound transformation of the mentality of the world. The culture of peace was a necessary precondition for achieving international peace and security." (UN Gen. Assembly, Nov. 10, 1998)

Laura Chinchilla

Overview

Laura Chinchilla Miranda born Carmen Central, San José, Costa Rica March 28, 1959. First woman president of Costa Rica, 2010-14. As president, submitted dispute with Nicaragua to World Court and accepted decision, 2011. Under her leadership, Costa Rica became second nation to ban nuclear weapons, 2011.

Quotations

“In 1948, we decided to consolidate the best of our civic values, and abolished the army. We chose to solve our disputes through the ballots, not the bullets; we decided to invest in schools and teachers, not garrisons and soldiers. This uninterrupted path turned Costa Rica into the most stable and longest-living democracy in Latin America.” (UN, April 2, 2002; photo Wikipedia)

Maria Chinchilla Recinos

Overview

María Chinchilla Recinos born Las Animas, Asuncion Mita, Guatemala September 2, 1903. Girl’s school teacher; "the first martyr" shot to death by mounted soldiers 1944 in nonviolent protest in Guatemala City which led to overthrow of dictator Ubico; dressed in mourning, women called for end to bloodshed.

Quotations

"Brave women! We too are not frightened!" (crowd's response per Galvez, in Ileana Ochoa dissertation "Asociaciones Femininas", 2002, p. 71; photo mariachinchilla.blogspot.com)

Piedad Cordoba

Overview

Piedad Esneda Córdoba Ruiz born Medellin, Colombia January 25, 1955. Afro-Colombian; legislative representative, 1992-1994; senator, 1994-2010. Negotiated release of FARC prisoners, 2007; nominated for Nobel Peace Prize, 2009.

Quotations

"There's no turning back from peace."

"Our mission is to defeat the war." (Helda Martínez, Bogotá, Oct. 20, 2010, IPS/TerraViva; 2007 photo Wikipedia)

Gloria Cuartas

Overview

Gloria Cuartas Montoya born Sabaneta, Antioquia, Colombia June 18, 1960. Social reformer and peacemaker. Elected Mayor of Apartadó, 1994. Received UNESCO Cites of Peace Award, 1996; promoted Cities of Peace in Latin America. Founded “Feminine Resistance and the Map of Hope.”

Quotations

“To have witnessed 1,200 crimes, to see dozens of raped and murdered women, to witness how they cut off a child's head and thrown at me, to see how they killed elderly people. . . [we] no longer had anything to lose and that [we] would go to the end, regardless of the shortcomings.” (Margarita Vidal interview, El Pais-Cali, Oct. 5, 2008; photo el universal)

Nelsa Curbelo

Overview

Nelsa Libertad Curbelo Cora born Montevideo, Uruguay November 1, 1941. Ecuadorean peacemaker; former nun. General coordinator, human rights organization SERPAJ. Member of Mediation Commission for the indigenous uprising of Ecuador, 1990. Witnessed Contras arms handover to the Sandinista government, Nicaragua, 1990. Participated in peace agreement between guerrillas and Guatemalan government, 1996. Founded Ser Paz ("Being Peace") with Guayaquil youth gangs, 1999. Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 2005.

Quotations

"Nothing is more revolutionary than love. . . Love is the greatest power in the universe. Love is more powerful than violence, more powerful than the atomic bomb. Love has the power to transform lives, to change cities and the whole world. Only love has this deep creative power. I am absolutely sure of it." (quote & photo Huffington Post, Aug. 13, 2013)