The Diplomat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the Bartolomé de las Casas Award, which will be endowed with over 50,000 euros and will be awarded to individuals, institutions, or organizations that have distinguished themselves in the defense of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
The award, convened since 1991 by the Secretariat of State for International Cooperation (in its capacity as President of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, AECID), in collaboration with Casa de América, “aims to recognize and promote the work of individuals, institutions, and organizations that have distinguished themselves, over time, in the defense and protection of the rights of the indigenous peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, and in the promotion or support of sustainable development processes led by these peoples, and in the recognition and dissemination of their cultural wealth and diversity,” according to the Official State Gazette (BOE) published this Wednesday.
The following are eligible for the award: individuals, Indigenous organizations, universities and academic institutions, non-governmental and civil society organizations, and individuals and institutions linked to the Indigenous world “who have distinguished themselves over time in the defense and protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean,” according to the Secretariat of State’s announcement.
The award will consist of a cash prize of 50,020 euros, which may be prorated if, in the judgment of the jury, there is more than one worthy candidate. The prize may also be declared void. The award will also include a medal bearing the effigy of the Dominican friar and chronicler Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566), considered a symbol of the defense of Indigenous rights.
