Colombia: Human Rights Award for Colombian Project Partner
María Bernarda Pabón, from the Colombian Terre des Hommes partner organization CECUCOL, has been awarded a national prize for human rights work. After almost four decades of grassroots work, the award recognizes both her personal journey and the communities she has supported over the decades.
María Bernarda Pabón began her involvement in community projects and educational initiatives as early as the 1980s. Against considerable resistance, she founded the Community Cultural Center Las Colinas (CECUCOL) in Comuna 18 of Cali in 1989. What began as a public education project developed into a resource center for displaced families: CECUCOL initiated community-managed water supply systems, child protection programs, and educational opportunities that strengthened social cohesion.
Regional impact and political work
María Bernarda Pabón's work was not limited to the city limits. Thanks to her political activism, concrete improvements were achieved: for example, land seized from the drug trade was returned to hundreds of farming families displaced by the conflict. In 2026, she took on a role in the regional coordination of land policy and contributed to alternative reports for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
High personal risks
María Bernarda Pabón paid a high price for her commitment: since the 1990s, she has been repeatedly threatened by paramilitary and other armed groups. This makes the award all the more significant: it is a public sign of recognition and support and strengthens the work of remembrance. In this way, the prize contributes to raising public awareness of the importance of human rights work for democracy and peace.
Terre des Hommes and CECUCOL
Terre des Hommes has been working with CECUCOL for many years. Supporting initiatives like that of María Bernarda Pabón is a central part of our commitment to children's rights, their dignity, and peace in Colombia.