Raquely Portela Malveira is a 24-year-old human rights activist, born and raised in the Amazon, Brazil.
Only a month after she became a lawyer, she founded the Commission on Refugees and Immigrants’ Rights of the Brazilian Bar Association of Amazonas State. Since then, she presides a group of 18 lawyers who became central actors in the pursuit of sustainable and lasting peace. In one year, they were able to impact more than 1,300 lives from Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, Arabia and Haiti.
The Commission helps refugees to rebuild their lives in peace and security through human rights-based programs – they donate food, clothes and toys, relocate refugees from the streets to shelters, provide free legal orientation, help with document issuing and diploma revalidation, offer free Portuguese courses, give lectures on Brazilian legislation and create awareness campaigns about the importance of refugees’ inclusion.
As a result of her work, Raquely received two Motions of Congratulations from the Legislative Assembly of Amazonas and a Certificate of Honor, which was presented at the City Council of Manaus.
Today, her biggest passion turned into a profession, and she is currently working as Field Assistant at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in Brazil.
Raquely firmly believes that everyone deserves a second chance to be happy, to be free and to be who they really are. She found her purpose in life by fighting for refugees’ rights and she is ambitious to create a legacy by changing the world around her.