Luis Felipe Polo

Luis Felipe Polo is a 1993 Advocate. When asked about his experience in HRAP, Polo wrote: “My participation in HRAP benefited me greatly because I was able to apply the knowledge I gained from the program to my work in defending human rights. It also helped my professional growth and empowered me to influence others to advocate for human rights.

Since leaving HRAP, Polo has been involved in international development, human rights, public policy, and education. Polo has several publications, including "Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights" (2000, 2010, 2013 and 2020), "Theology of Inclusion and Diversity", "Humanizing Politics from Politics", "Death Penalty and Human Rights", etc. In 2001, Polo was appointed as Rector at the Universidad Rafael Landívar-Quetzaltenango Campus. He managed the university’s 11 undergraduate and graduate programs, which included 5,000 students and 350 faculty and personnel staff. Polo introduced human rights courses to the university. In 2005, he left academia to serve as the Principal Advisor to Dr. Eduardo Stein Barillas, the Vice-President of the Republic of Guatemala, working as  Executive Secretary of the "National Agreement for the Implementation of the Social Expenditure for Poverty Reduction.” 

Polo has also worked for institutions. He served as the Executive Director at the Latin American Office for Human Rights of Journalists,  defended journalists accused of political crimes in Latin America and helped free several journalists from prison. He was a candidate for the Reebook Prize for Human Rights in 2004. Polo was Division Chief of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Political Affairs Officer at the United Nations Organization (UNO),  Academic Researcher for the Andean Commission of Jurists (CAJ), Consultant for the Organization of American States (OAS), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIHR), German Technical Cooperation for Latin America ( GTZ), Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (LCHR); Human Rights Watch (HRW); and, Center for Analysis and Conflict Resolution of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (CARC). Executive Director of ""Latin American Human Rights Education and Research Network"" a project between AUSJAL and York University, Toronto-Canada. 

Over the years, Polo has strengthened his knowledge base and professional skill set through his management coursework at the University of Michigan and Harvard University. He also enrolled in post-graduate studies at both the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and the University of Havana. He is MBA and PH.D. in Theology Social. Doctor "Honoris Causa" by the Continental University of Peru,  "Knight of the Academic Palms" by the Government of France,  International Recognition as a Defender of Human Rights in Latin America by Agreement of the Congress of Ecuador and, Recognition with ""La Rosa de la Paz"" by the Government of Guatemala. 

He's a university professor, international human rights consultant and conflict resolution. Polo is the President of Innovation and Human Development Institute, a think tank organization in the USA working in human rights, migration, conflict resolution, mediation, social rights, economic analysis; and, international relations.

Regarding how HRAP influenced his work, Polo said “My participation in HRAP benefited me greatly because I was able to apply the knowledge I gained from the program to my work in defending human rights. It also helped my professional growth and empowered me to influence others to advocate for human rights."

—Submitted by Luis Felipe Polo, October 2023.