In 1973, 10 years after the Institute for Policy Studies opened its doors with the belief that progressive thought, advocacy, and action can build a better society, Chile’s democratically elected government was overthrown by a military coup.

These two histories became inextricably linked on September 21, 1976, when agents of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet detonated a car bomb that killed former Chilean diplomat and director of the Institute’s Transnational Institute, Orlando Letelier, and IPS development associate Ronni Karpen Moffitt in Washington, D.C.

Following these assassinations, IPS established the Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Awards to honor their fallen colleagues and recognize individuals and groups in the United States and elsewhere in the Americas most dedicated to the struggle for human rights.

We are delighted to hold the event again for the 33rd consecutive year, and applaud Domestic Workers United and La Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería en El Salvador as they continue the struggle for basic human needs and demonstrate the courage and dedication which the awards were established to honor. More information on the awardees can be found on our Letelier-Moffitt awards page.

The celebration starts at 5:30PM, with a reception and light fare. The human rights program begins at 7PM. You can purchase tickets here.