Executive Director
Stella Duque is a clinical psychologist and Executive Director of MADRE’s sister organization Taller de Vida in Bogotá, Colombia. Taller de Vida provides critical services to Afro-Colombian and Indigenous women, youth, and children who have been displaced by violence, including former child soldiers and those at risk of forced recruitment by the paramilitaries.
Through Taller De Vida, Stella started the “Saquen mi cuerpo de la guerra (“Take my body out of the war”) campaign. This initiative uses art therapy to help children harmed by the conflict to overcome their trauma. Overcoming the stigma of sexual violence, the youth also organize community exhibits of their work. The campaign’s goal is to bring local and international attention to the issue of sexual violence against children.
