Alternatives is proud to announce that Yan Christian (Chris) Warinussy, a long time partner of ours, is this year’s John Humphrey Freedom Award laureate. Chris has played a major role in protecting human rights in West Papua and helping the Papuan peoples struggle against military and corporate oppression in their own land. We are honoured to welcome Chris to Canada from November 28 to December 10, 2005 to accept the most prestigious human rights award in Canada. His hard work, expertise and commitment make him a most deserving recipient.
We would like to invite everyone to join us on Monday December 5, at 7pm at the Café Monument-Nationale where Chris will be speaking about his work.
To see when Chris will be speaking in your city, follow this link.
As the Executive Director of the Organisation for Legal Aid, Research, Investigation and Development (LP3BH) in West Papua, Indonesia, Chris has been a partner of Alternatives since 2001. Alternatives’ CIDA-funded Supporting Peace in Papua project supported Chris’s work with remote communities in Bintuni Bay, West Papua. There we partnered to uphold the human rights of villagers who were being displaced and affected by the establishment of a major Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility being built by BP (formerly British Petroleum).
Alternatives’ and LP3BH’s partnership focuses on providing legal support for the villagers, development assistance for cooperative enterprises (such sugar palm production), and helping the communities to envision a fair and egalitarian development plan. So far the results have been impressive, with over 200 villagers engaging in new economic activities, and five villages setting up cooperatives to manage development assistance funds. We look forward to continuing our support for Chris’ and LP3BH’s work to offer a dignified future full of opportunity for the people of West Papua.
For more information about West Papua, please visit www.westpapua.ca
