The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Argentina, Honored with the 2025 HHRRC Clyde Snow Award

The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC) offers the Clyde Snow Award to a forensic scientist or organization that has made outstanding contributions to humanitarian action and the global advancement of human rights through the use of forensic science. The award recognizes the pioneering contributions of forensic anthropologist Clyde Collins Snow (1928-2014) in the application of forensic science to human rights. Dr. Snow helped catalyze the development of forensic science to support human rights throughout Latin America and around the world. His career accomplishments present an extraordinary model for forensic scientists to reflect upon.

Many accomplished individuals and organizations were nominated this year for the Clyde Snow Award. All candidates were reviewed and ranked by the HHRRC International Advisory Council and Subcommittee Chairs. The HHRRC is pleased to announce that the organization, Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, Argentino (Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Argentina) have been selected for the Clyde Snow Award. 

The Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo is an organization that formed in the 1970s to help recover the children who were born to imprisoned and disappeared women during the military dictatorship, known as the "Dirty War," between 1976 and 1983. Kidnapped pregnant women were killed after giving birth and their children were illegally given to military families. The Abuelas began to organize despite the danger, and they brilliantly envisioned forensic science as a means to achieving truth and justice for grave human rights violations they and their relatives had suffered under the military dictatorship. They convinced the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among other scientific organizations around the world, to send forensic scientists to Argentina to assist in their search for their disappeared grandchildren (alive, but with names changed) and children (dead and disposed in unmarked graves). As a result, Dr. Clyde Snow and his team came to Argentina, a trip that ultimately resulted in the development of the Equipo Argentino de Antropología Forense (the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team). In addition, the Abuelas quest led to the creation of the world's first-ever Forensic Genetic Bank for the Identification of Missing Children, and to finding, locating, and recovering the true identities of over 500 formerly disappeared children in Argentina. In addition, they provide documentary and DNA evidence for the trials of those who stole and knowingly appropriated the children after birth. Their early and revolutionary use of genetics in the early 1980s set the stage for the application of DNA to humanitarian and human rights problems around the world.    

Recipients of the Clyde Snow Award embody the spirit and far-reaching contributions made by Dr. Snow. The Award is also intended to stimulate the career development and minds of young forensic scientists. In addition, the Clyde Snow Award exemplifies the commitment of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences to the application of forensic science to help resolve important issues in the international and global domain.

Candidates for this award (individuals or organizations) are nominated by a member of the international forensic science community. Selection criteria focus on the sustained body of work in humanitarian forensic science. The Clyde Snow Award is not for any specific contribution in the forensic sciences, but is intended to recognize a sustained effort in the global application of forensic science to human rights investigations and/or humanitarian action.

The Clyde Snow Award will be presented to Miguel Santucho on behalf of the Abuelas during the 2025 AAFS Annual Business Meeting on February 19.
 

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