The Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award is awarded annually by the Washington, D.C.–based Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). It is awarded to those advancing the cause of human rights in the Americas. The Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award commemorates Orlando Letelier and Ronni Moffitt, who in 1976 were assassinated in Washington, D.C. by agents of the Chilean secret service. It was first presented in 1978.
Award recipients 1978 Samuel Rubin Reverend Benjamin Chavis, Jr. 1979 The Association of Relatives of Disappeared People, Chile Alfred "Skip" Robinson, United League of Mississippi 1980 The Legal Aid Office of the Archdiocese of San Salvador Reverend William Wipfler, National Council of Churches 1981 Jacobo Timerman The Congregation of Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic 1982 Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns of São Paulo, Brazil The Infant Formula Action Coalition 1983 Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) of Argentina Father J. Bryan Hehir, U.S. Catholic Conference 1984 Dr. , President, Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras The Sanctuary Movement
Reverend Charles Harper (Special Recognition Award) 1985 The Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo (GAM) of Guatemala The Free South Africa Movement
Frances Arbour (Special Recognition Award) 1986 The Vicariate of Solidarity (Chile) Pete Seeger 1987 Bishop Mario Melanio Medina (Paraguay) Washington Office on Latin America 1988 Radio Soleil (Haiti) Charles L. Clements, M.D. 1989 The Union of Indigenous Nations of Brazil The National Labor Committee in Support of Democracy and Human Rights in El Salvador
Robert Scherrer (Special Recognition Award) 1990 The National Human Rights Coordinating Committee of Peru Richard Trumka, President, United Mine Workers Union of America
Father Jim Felts and Proyecto de Cristo Rey (Special Recognition Award) 1991 Jorge Gomez Lizarazo, President, Regional Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, Barrancabermeja, Colombia La Mujer Obrera, El Paso, Texas 1992 Evans Paul, Mayor of Port-au-Prince, Haiti Sam Buffone and Michael Tigar, lawyers for the Letelier-Moffitt Case
Saul Landau (Special Recognition Award) 1993 Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia and Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center in Chiapas, Mexico Marian Kramer and the National Welfare Rights Union 1994 Harry Belafonte (Special Recognition Award) Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras
Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) 1995 Jennifer Harbury (Special Recognition Award) Rose Johnson, Georgia Project Director of the Center for Democratic Renewal
Haitian Human Rights Platform 1996 Pharis Harvey (Special Recognition Award) Asian Immigrant Women Advocates
Leo Valladares 1997 The Rev. Dr. Mac Charles Jones (Special Recognition Award, posthumously) Sin Fronteras Organizing Project
Alianza Civica 1998 Rose Sanders Coordinacion Colombia-Europa 1999 Juan Garces Kensington Welfare Rights Union 2000 Oscar Olivera, Coordinator in Defense of Water and Life (Bolivia) November Coalition 2001 25th Anniversary All prior recipients honored 2002 Bishop Álvaro Ramazzini (Guatemala) Jobs with Justice
Naúl Ojeda (Special Recognition Award, posthumously) 2003 Nancy Sanchez Mendez CASA de Maryland
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Special Recognition Award) 2004 Seymour Hersh Military Families Speak Out 2005 Judge Juan Guzmán Barrios Unidos 2006 Maher Arar and Center for Constitutional Rights Gulf Coast Renewal Campaign 2007 Senator Gustavo Petro (Colombia) Appeal for Redress
DC Vote (Special Recognition Award) 2008 Francisco Soberón and the Asociación Pro-Derechos Humanos (Peru) Indian Workers Congress 2009 Domestic Workers United La Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería Metálica en El Salvador 2010 National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) Honduras Human Rights Platform
Guatemala National Police Archives2011 Wisconsin Progressive Movement Bethlehem, The Migrant's Shelter (Mexico)2012 City Life/Vida Urbana The Chilean Students Movement (Confederation of Chilean Students) (Chile) 2013 50th anniversary of IPS All prior recipients honored2014Robin Reineke of the Colibrí Center for Human Rights The Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders
Juan E. Méndez (Special Recognition Award)2015Daryl Atkinson and the Southern Center for Social Justice Almudena Bernabeu and the Center for Justice and Accountability201640th anniversary of the assassinations of Orlando Letelier and Ronni Karpen Moffitt All prior recipients honored2017Opal Tometi and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) Javier Rojas Uriana2018New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente (DHUMA)
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