Daniel Carey, currently serving as a volunteer on PBI's Guatemala project, has just won the Law Society New Solicitor of the Year Award! He received the award from presenter and journalist Jeremy Vine at a ceremony at the Royal Artilaries in London in October.

Daniel is a solicitor and since March 2007, has substituted his UK office for fieldwork in Guatemala. The award recognised Daniel's courage and dedication in helping to protect and support a number of key human rights organisations and individual lawyers who are seeking to rectify some of Guatemala’s legislative weaknesses and strengthen the basic principles of human rights and justice that are taken for granted in many parts of the world. Daniel has described his decision to volunteer in Guatemala as his “duty to demonstrate solidarity with fellow professionals struggling in states where the rule of law is not observed".

"I lend my whole-hearted support to PBI UK’s nomination of Daniel Carey for the Law Society Solicitor of the Year Award. Daniel has not only shown great personal courage and generosity towards his Guatemalan colleagues, but he is  exemplifying some of the best aspects of the human rights tradition within our profession – integrity, internationalism and compassion."

Sir Henry Brooke (former Lord Justice and PBI UK patron)

"Daniel's courageous commitment makes him stand head and shoulders above the crowd. His dedication to human rights, his preparedness to undertake a difficult assignment in a setting far from home, family and friends shows what an outstanding human being he is. Our great profession is one in which such excellence blossoms, and we are indeed fortunate to have his contribution."

Sara Chandler (President City of Westminster and Holborn Law Society)

In 2006, the very special partnerships between PBI volunteers and human rights defenders was recognised by the International Service Human Rights Awards. Dominga Vasquez, Guatemalan human rights defender, and Helen Woodcock, who accompanied her as a PBI UK volunteer, jointly received the award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Women. The award was presented by Jon Snow at a ceremony at the House of Commons.

Dominga has worked tirelessly for women's and indigenous rights in Guatemala. She was elected as the first female Indigenous Mayor of Solola, and applied Mayan vision and traditional approaches to conflict-resolution in order to help bring peace and unity to Guatemala and improve the lives of women there. Helen spent twelve months in Guatemala as part of a PBI team providing international protective accompaniment to threatened human rights activists such as Dominga.