The Universidad del Centro Latinoamericano (UCEL) in Rosario (Argentina) and Duke University in Durham (USA) are leading an International Webinar on the theme “Human Rights in the Americas.” This event occurs on Thursday, December 4th at 6:00 pm (Argentina) / 4:00 pm ET (Durham, USA) / 3:00 pm (Central America). This is a free virtual event in commemoration of International Human Rights Day. Participants are invited to join in the conversation focused on the topic “The Challenge of Defending Democracy to Protect Life and Cultivate Peace.”
Speakers include Dr. Vilma “Nina” Balmaceda (Duke University), Mr. Daniel Bóccoli (UCEL), Mr. José Vinces Rodríguez (Peace and Hope Foundation of Ecuador), and Rev. Luis G. Vásquez (Methodist Church of Argentina/UCEL). Various organizations are coming together to support this event: Duke University, UCEL, the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (IAMSCU), The Americas Initiative for Transformation and Reconciliation (AITR), and the Latin American Association of Methodist Institutions of Education (ALAIME). This event provides a space to reflect on the democratic challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean and the joint commitment of these organizations to building peace. Registration: https://www.ucel.edu.ar/producto/conversatorio-internacional-derechos-humanos-en-las-americas/
This event continues and expands the partnership between UCEL and Duke as part of The Americas Initiative for Transformation and Reconciliation (AITR), a regional program started in 2020 by Duke University’s Center for Reconciliation (CFR). Anchored at Duke Divinity School, this program promoted the first Annual Institutes on “Theology of Reconciliation” in 2020 and 2021, and this resulted in the building of a network to help educate people and transform Christian leaders from across the Americas to work for just peace and transformation.
UCEL has been participating in this network since 2021 and has organized many events that complement this initiative, including international conferences promoted by its Research Center on Human Rights. Both Duke and UCEL have also participated in the IAMSCU Human Rights Network, and this cooperation has yielded many positive results. This event on December 4, 2025, is part of the celebrations of “International Human Rights Week” and mark “International Human Rights Day” on December 10th, 2025.