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PREDA Nobel Peace Prize Nomination for 2003

(Hon. David Kilgour, P.C., M.P.)

 

OTTAWA OFFICE  House of Commons  Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0A6  (613) 995-8695  Fax: (613) 995-6465

HOUSE OF COMMONS  CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES  CANADA  Hon. David Kilgour, P.C., M.P.  Edmonton Southeast

CONSTITUENCY OFFICE300 8616-51 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6E 6E3 (780) 495-2149 Fax (78-0) 495-2147

Ottawa, October 3, 2002 

The Norwegian Nobel Committee
Drammensveien 19
NO-0255 OSLO
Norway

 

To Whom it May Concern:

 

Re: Nomination of Father Shay Cullen for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize

"When I see young victims of violence desperate for help and then responding with courage and strength I feel determined and empowered to help them all the more.  I want to free them from filthy jails or sweatshops or the enslavement of brothels and, sex bars and stand by them in their fight for justice."

Father Shay Cullen  

Father Shay Cullen, a missionary priest from Ireland, has dedicated his life to working, for human rights, specifically children's rights, around the world.  He began his work in Olongapo City, Philippines in 1969.  Olongapo City was a community that was experiencing, the degeneration of social conditions as a result of widespread violence, corruption and exploitation of the people.  In 1974, PREDA (The People's Recovery Empowerment, Development, Assistance Foundation) was developed in order to help the Filipino people escape from destructive lives of violence, drugs, and sexual exploitation.  To this end, PREDA and Father Shay have been involved in rescuing children enslaved in the sex trade, and providing a holistic therapeutic home for sexually abused girls to live in and recover from their tragic experiences.

 In 1982, Father Shay and a friend, Alex Hermoso, discovered and exposed a large-scale child sex business that was involved in selling young children to the nearby United States military bases.  In spite of pressure from both Filipino officials and United States military personnel, the practice was ended, and the military bases converted into industrial buildings and jobs for the Filipino people.  This has been the character of

  Father Shay's work - justice for those unable to defend themselves, and standing up against the power and wealth of people who gain from the exploitation of the weak.

 "The people have to be helped to recognize the roots of injustice and admire and uphold the dignity of every individual as made in the image of God with inalienable rights to be protected, respected, and affirmed."

Father Shay Cullen

 Father Shay is well known for his successful lobbying for the establishment of international laws that allow for a child abuser to be prosecuted in his own country when accused of crimes abroad.  In addition to this, Father Shay was a member of the drafting committee, which took responsibility for the creation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.   The Convention outlines the importance of child Rights, and the need to respect the inherent value of children as human beings.  He has continued his fight for children around the world through the start of the Guardian Angel Campaign.  Beginning as a part of the Jubilee Campaign, this campaign was created with the help of Father Shay, to be a vehicle for the public to express their disgust with child prostitution and with those who would encourage the exploitation of children in this manner.

According to Father Shay, the only way for these children to find healing is through "help and justice".  Help-which comes only when people have the courage to stand up for the friendless against social and political pressure.  Justice-which can only be attained when governments and lawmakers recognize the horrors of sexual abuse and the exploitation of children, and are willing to do something, about it.

For his humanitarian work, Father Shay has received both the "German Human Rights of the City of Weimar Award" in December 2000, and the "Italian Human Rights Award at the City of Ferrara" in 2001.  Father Shay and the PREDA Foundation was nominated in 2001 for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Please accept this as a letter of support for the nomination of Father Shay for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. lf you should require any further information, I can be reached at 613-995-8695 or you can visit the website of PREDA: < www.preda.org >

 Thank you for your consideration.

 Sincerely,

(Originally Signed)

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