FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 93 - ENGLISH

49 prejudice, a goal that is fully in line with the defence of human rights and with the sensitivity of those who have suffered any form of violence or violation of freedoms. 2) XIII ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS COURSE "GLOBAL TERRORISM. SCENARIOS, VICTIMS AND CHALLENGES" On 24 and 25 November, the Rodolfo Benito Samaniego Foundation held a new edition of its Annual Human Rights Course, now established as a forum for analysis, training and discussion for those working in the field of victims of terror- ism. Entitled "Global Terrorism: Scenar- ios, Victims and International Challeng- es," the course brought together academic specialists, professionals and, most nota- bly, a large group of representatives from associations of victims of terrorism, who contributed their perspectives and en- riched the debate over the two days. The event was also held in the Interna- tional Conference Room at the Univer- sity of Alcalá and was led by Professor María Marcos, Chair of Procedural Law, with coordination by Professor Ignacio A. Pérez Macías, a collaborator with the Rodolfo Benito Samaniego Foundation. The course opened with an institutional session that included the screening of a video on the history of the Foundation and speeches by the two heads of aca- demic management and the president of the Victims of Terrorism Foundation, Mr. Juan Benito Valenciano, who, in this case, assumed a dual role as he is also a mem- ber of the FRBS Board of Trustees. The inaugural lecture was given by Carlos R. Fernández Liesa, Professor of Public International Law and member of the United Nations Human Rights Commit- tee, who addressed the relationship be- tween human rights, terrorism and victim protection. Throughout the day, experts such as Félix Vacas Fernández (UC3M) and Harold Bertot Triana (UNIE and CU- NEF) also spoke, providing a multidisci- plinary approach to the challenges posed by global terrorism. One of the highlights of the course was the online session entitled The Frustrat- ed Peace which featured a live connection with Colombia. Participants included Di- ana Sofía Giraldo, president of the Visi- ble Victims Foundation, as well as Ingrid Betancourt and Sigifredo López, both vic- tims of kidnapping by the FARC. Everteh Bustamante García, author of the book Rebellion, Weapons and Democracy, also participated. Their first-hand accounts of the violence they suffered and their reflec- tions on the peace and reconciliation pro- cesses brought a deeply human dimension to the academic analysis of international terrorism. The virtual presence of these Colombian victims generated a particu- larly valuable dialogue with those attend- ing the event, many of whomwere victims of terrorism in Spain, creating a space for mutual recognition and transnational solidarity. The second day, held on 25 November, fo- cused on the evolution of contemporary terrorism. Carlos Igualada, director of the International Observatory on Terrorism Studies, analysed the growing prominence of the African continent as the main focus of global terrorism. Subsequently, Profes- sor Ignacio Sánchez-Cuenca addressed the historical cycle of jihadist terrorism, and Professor Aitor Díaz Maroto present- ed the keys to the resurgence of far-right terrorism. The course concluded with a lecture by Professor Sagrario Morán Blanco, professor of Public Internation- al Law and International Relations, who analysed the evolution of anti-terrorist co- operation from a global and comparative perspective. With significant participation from vic- tims' associations and the emotional and enlightening contribution of Colombian victims connected online, this edition of the course reaffirmed the importance of maintaining spaces for study and dialogue that place victims at the centre and pro- mote a broader understanding of the phe- nomenon of terrorism in today's world. 3) VIII HUMAN RIGHTS SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CARLOS III IN MADRID On the closing day, the Human Rights Training Scholarship was awarded, an initiative that reinforces the historic col- laboration between the Rodolfo Benito Samaniego Foundation and the Grego- rio Pe-ces-Barba Human Rights Institute at Carlos III University in Madrid. This institute, a national and international benchmark in human rights research and promotion, carries out intensive teaching, research and awareness-raising work. Its postgraduate programmes—in- cluding the Master's Degree in Funda- mental Rights, its legal clinics and its research projects in cooperation with international centres—constitute an academic space of excellence aimed at disseminating values, fostering debate, promoting teaching and advancing the effective defence of human rights. On this occasion, the scholarships were awarded to Isidora Constanza Castro Zumarán and Gonzalo Moreno García. ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS