ADES Santa Marta - Continuing human rights education

Published: April 28 2017

More than 70 people from the municipalities of San Isidro and Victoria, Cabañas, are studying the topic of human rights in the “Human Rights School,” organized by the Asociación de Desarrollo Económico Social Santa Marta (ADES).

The “Human Rights School” is principally oriented towards the leaders and youth of rural communities, and was born as a response to the human rights violations experienced in these areas.

According to the facilitator of the process, Julio Zavala, the objective is for the community members to know their rights and feel empowered to demand the respect of their rights.

Zavala emphasizes the importance of ADES´ community initiatives “because it is in these where people expose the real problems that affect them, whether individually or collectively."

The process, which takes place over six workshops, concludes with the construction of a community human rights agenda, which reflects the individual and collective problems that affect the community.

Leadership organization and incidence

Throughout 23 years of community work, ADES Santa Marta has been accompanied by organizations, churches, national and international social groups, with whom, through cooperation and strategic partnerships, we have been able to carry out our community development initiatives.

The fields in which we have focused the most are education, community organizing and popular communication, solidarity economics, health, and organic agriculture.

Esther Ávalos Mesa

Invitation to the Utopia

I couldn’t avoid it. The famous words of Galeano were frolicking in my memory this Sunday as I attended the impressive Utopia Festival, brought to life by the Asociación de Desarrollo Económico y Social Santa Marta (ADES) and carried out by the youth from Cabañas and Cuscatlán. It took place in the Santa Marta Community Center.

Leadership, organization and incidence

Promote inclusive and horizontal leadership, with an emphasis on women and youth, that strengthen community organization. • Promote processes of political incidence, vindication of human rights and defense of the territories, in alliance with social movements.

Food sovereignty and agroecology

Promote the adoption of an agroecological model that contributes to the achievement of sustainable local agricultural systems that optimize and stabilize production, as the basis of food sovereignty.

Comprehensive water and sanitation management

Strengthen community participation in improving water and sanitation management, contributing to the exercise of the human right to water.