Item 2019.200P/114 - ?, Maria Morales, Anna Ortega, Elly Vandenbery, Bill Fairbairn, Lee McKenna

The Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America (ICCHRLA) was a Canadian ecumenical coalition formed in 1976. ICCHRLA was supported by the Anglican Church of Canada, Canadian Council of Church, Council of Christian Reformed Church in Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Presbyterian Church in Canada, Religious Society of Friends, Roman Catholic Church in Canada (inc. Scarboro Foreign Mission Society) and the United Church of Canada. The work of ICCHRLA involved: supporting individuals and groups in Latin America who defend human rights; intervening on behalf of victims of human rights abuses; helping to foster conditions necessary for human rights; analyzing and disseminating information of human rights in Latin America to the Canadian churches, government and public as well as relevant international agencies like the UN; providing assistance to the above groups in response to human rights violations in Latin America; monitoring Canada’s foreign policy relating to Latin American countries that violate human rights; and organizing visits to Canada by Latin American witnesses to human rights violations and visits to Latin America by Canadian church leaders and others concerned with the violations there. To fulfill the above ICCHRLA maintained close relationships with Latin American partners including churches, human rights groups and other organizations involved in human rights. Partnerships were garnered through correspondence, publications, appeals, exchange visits, and fact finding missions. ICCHRLA also provided New Releases and sent them to religious and secular media nationally to communicate important and urgent information on Latin America, Canadian government policies and ICCHRLA initiatives. The Latin American Working Group of Toronto and the Comite chretien pour les droits humains en Amerique latine of Montreal maintained a consultative relationship with ICCHRLA. In 2001, ICCHRLA was absorbed into KAIROS, a coalition of Canadian churches, church based agencies and religious organizations dedicated to promoting human rights, justice and peace.