We are pleased to inform you that Costa Rican biologist and environmental activist, Fabian Pacheco, has been nominated for the French Republic’s Human Rights Prize “Liberty-Equality-Fraternity” for 2023, awarded by the Prime Minister of the French Government’s National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH).
This time, the edition is dedicated to the defense of water, in which Pacheco has stood out for his trajectory against oil exploitation, open-pit mining, and contamination with pesticides.
The theme of this 2023 edition is “Environmental defenders and access to water”, among are contemplated objectives such as promoting the action of environmental defenders, promoting effective access to quality drinking water and effective sanitation, in addition to ensuring long-term monitoring of water resources, all this demonstrates the relevance of a candidate as the environmentalist Fabián Pacheco.
Since 1988, the Human Rights Prize of the French Republic has been awarded to various individuals and organizations whose aim is to carry out actions and projects related to the protection and promotion of human rights. The prize recognizes the fundamental role played by civil society, and in particular by non-governmental organizations, in the promotion and protection of these rights.
The results will be announced on December 10 at a ceremony in Paris.
Fabián Pacheco has been an activist since his adolescence and is currently the manager of INA’s Organic Agriculture Technician program, which has proven to be a singular success according to the latest study by INA’s Business Development Unit, given the high rate of employability of its graduates.
He is also the creator of the INA-IMAS-INAMU institutional program “Mujeres Semilla” (Seed Women), to strengthen the capacities of peasant, indigenous, and farming women.
Fabián has led as part of the collective Frente Eco-Cipreses, this community organization has arisen since 2019 and has worked denouncing, investigating, making legal actions and mobilizations for the defense of water.
The struggle for the water of the community of Cipreses has had such transcendence and evolution thanks to the focus and work of the ecologist that today it evolved into a National Campaign For The Prohibition Of Chlorothalonil.
As mentioned by the Asociación Red de Coordinación en Biodiversidad: “We consider that Mr. Pacheco’s candidacy will strengthen a collective struggle for the defense of water in various communities of the country… [the award] represents a great opportunity to bring the defense of water in Costa Rica to the ears of the international community”.
Endorsement, support, and admiration from environmental organizations.
It is worth mentioning that a few months ago Fabián was nominated by more than 30 environmental organizations for the “Contributions to the Improvement of the Quality of Life Award”, a recognition granted by CONARE and the Ombudsman’s Office.
It was precisely the well-known environmentalist and writer Flora Fernández Amón, who joined forces for the nomination of the fighter Fabián Pacheco, an action of recognition by his peers.
It is also worth mentioning that Flora and Fabián have been involved in the environmental defense of Costa Rica, she has been his student in organic agriculture courses and is linked to the use of solar energy.
For his fellow environmental activists… Pacheco besides being a great friend and family, is a man full of integrity and determination, capable of integrating people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, of all cultural, ethnic, and gender backgrounds, and able to harmonize everyone to work with the same purpose.
Finally, it is important to emphasize that the Costa Rican Master in Environmental Agrobiology, Agronomist, and Ecologist, Fabian Pacheco, does not rest in raising his voice with concern about the actions that are not favorable for the biodiversity of Costa Rica: the contamination of water resources, secondly, the cultivation of food organically and without pesticides, “because there is no point in cultivating land organically if the water is already contaminated,” added Flora Fernandez.
