Maryknoll Sisters Laura Glynn from Hartford, Connecticut and Elsie Monge from Guayaquil, Ecuador arrived in Ecuador in 1974, both with years of experience in Central America and Panamá. Their first three months were spent in Riobamba becoming acquainted with Bishop Leonidas Proaño and the situation in which the Indigenous lived. For six years they worked in rural community development.

In Quito in 1981, the Sisters began working with CEDHU, the Ecumenical Commission for Human Rights in Ecuador whose ministry is to strengthen civil society’s action in the exercise of human rights. Sister Elsie became Executive Director of CEDHU in 1994. The majority of the people who go to CEDHU lack the resources and the tools needed to face the violation of their rights. The commission works in these areas: education, denunciation/defense, communication, investigation and documentation.

CEDHU is a founding member of FEDHU, the Ecuadoran network of human rights, which is integrated by twelve human rights organizations at a national level for coordinating their common work. In 1996 Sister Elsie became President of FEDHU. On August 15, 2004, Sister Laura was accidentally killed opening an automatic garage door. Her death was mourned by all her Ecuadoran friends, especially by Sister Elsie with whom she had shared community and work for many years. Sister Laura is buried in Ecuador and Sister Elsie continues in mission with her co-workers for human rights. In 2004, she received a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and was very happy that it was a collective nomination naming one thousand women around the world who are working for peace. She was named “Woman of the Year” in Ecuador in 2005.