Letter of German MP nominating Fr. Shay Cullen for Nobel Peace
Prize
Christa Nickels
Member of German Parliament
Speaker for church policies of the
Parliamentary party,
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Head of the Committee for human rights and
humanitarian help
Platz der Republik
11011 Berlin-Bundeshaus
The Norwegian Nobel Institute Drammensveien 19
NO-0255 OSLO
Berlin, September 19th 2002
Esteemed members of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee,
As a member of the German Parliament (German Bundestag) I like to propose
the Irish priest Shay Cullen for the
Nobel Peace Prize 2003.
The church missionary group Missio in Aachen/Germany drew my attention to
the commitment of Shay Cullen who for many years worked for
human rights, especially for children’s rights. Mr. Cullen is living in
the Philippines since 1969 and is fighting regardless his own safety
against the unscrupulous exploitation of children in one of the most
profitable businesses worldwide: The international sex industry. In his
therapy centre “Preda” he is providing long lasting shelter and the
conditions (for survival)
for minor girls which were sexually abused as child prostitutes.
Mr. Cullen does not like his fight to be considered only as a pure
humanitarian help for “the victims” after they experienced so much
horrific abuse He is empowering the children to stand up for their
rights and dignity in court and to assert themselves as individuals.
Furthermore he ise he is
consistently accusing the perpetrators on all levels and creating
through that publicity an issue which was repressed until today
especially in Germany and the other countries where the “customers” of
the sex services come from.
Finally through his commitment Shay Cullen is compelling Philippine
society to examine the level given to the protection of human dignity
and human rights and the adherence
to
the rule of law. These are all inevitable preconditions for a
peaceful development of society.
In respect of the decision of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize 2003 I ask
the committee to note the attached information about Father Shay Cullen
in regard to awarding to
Mr. Cullen the Nobel Peace
Prize in 2003, because: human rights are also children rights!
With best regards
Yours sincerely
Christa Nickels
(Original German version signed)
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