Human Rights Advocates 2005, Center for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University, New York, USA
From left, Masoka Hubert Tshiswaka (DRC); Nicholas Luisiani, intern; Ingrid Gorre (Philippines), Claudia Patricia Juan Pineda (México); J.S. Cammue (Liberia); Bess Rothenberg, HRAP Assistant Director; Mawuli C. K. Dake (Ghana); Alejandra Ancheita Pagaza (México); Jia Ping (China); Benedicto Q. Sánchez (Philippines); Sentot Setyasiswanto (Indonesia); and Paulina Gárzon (Ecuador)
Program Coordinator Benedicto Q. Sánchez was selected to participate in the 2005 Human Rights Advocates Program at Columbia University. Along with a highly qualified group of human rights leaders, he has been chosen from an extremely competitive pool of applicants worldwide.
In 2005, the Columbia University-funded program received over 150 applications, out of which it carefully selected 10 human rights advocates from developing countries. Advocates spent one semester at the New York-based university, where they engaged in an intensive program of research, study, and practical training to enable them to become more effective advocates for economic, social and cultural rights.
While in the US, Benedicto together with his fellow advocates, attended advanced seminars on human rights, took skills training and sustainable development courses, met with representatives of human rights institutions based in New York and Washington, DC. He also made public presentations during brown bag discussions on BIND’s work.
He took up Human Ecology and Sustainable Development and Fighting Against Poverty under Prof. Jeffrey David Sachs. Sachs is known, among other things, for his work with international agencies on problems of poverty reduction, debt cancellation, and disease control—especially HIV/AIDS, for the developing world.
