09 Jun Paco de Onís

Paco grew up in several Latin American countries during periods of dictatorships. He is the Executive Director and Executive Producer of Skylight, a human rights media organization dedicated to advancing social justice through storytelling by creating documentary films and media tools that can applied in long-term strategies for positive social change.

Paco co-created SolidariLabs, a program designed to disseminate Skylight’s innovative model for creating human rights media ecosystems in conjunction with committed media makers, artists, technologists and movement organizations, with the aim of building enduring networks of 21st century human rights defenders. One of the promising initiatives that has emerged from the SolidariLabs network is the Virtual International Volunteers Xchange, VIVX, an app and online platform designed to connect volunteers who will virtually accompany human rights defenders under threat, to support the accompaniment work already being done on the ground by organizations such as Peace Brigades International, with whom Skylight will partner.

Paco’s film producing credits include 500 YEARS, Granito: How to Nail a Dictator, Rebel Citizen, Disruption, State of Fear, and The Reckoning and he is now producing a new project titled Borderlands on immigration justice in the United States. The project highlights powerful stories of “righteous persons” who are motivated by moral conviction and compassion that show how courageous actions can lead to mobilization and the defense of human rights in the face of hate and discrimination.