Oct 07, 2009

CPA Pioneer Receives International Recognition for Protection of Indigenous People


Founding member and pioneer of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Mother Petra Macliing from Mainit, Bontoc, Mountain Province, was chosen as one of the ten awardees for the Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF) Laureate  Prize for 2009. Mother Petra continues to share her leadership and courage as a member of CPA's Advisory Council. She is also a founding member of the Kalinga-Bontoc Peace Pact Holders Association.

The WWSF Laureate Award honors creative and courageous women and women's groups worldwide for their contribution in improving the quality of life in rural communities, for protecting the environment, transmitting knowledge and standing up for human rights and peace.   Established in 1994, WWSF has so far awarded 354 prizes in more than 100 countries.   The WWSF is a humanitarian, non-government, non-profit and international organization with United Nations consultative status which works for a new development paradigm with and for women and children. It was established in March 8, 1991 in Geneva, on the occasion of  International Working Women’s Day.

Please refer to the attached article in PDF and MS Word format (uploaded in the CPA website www.cpaphils.org as well) for  some highlights of Mother Petra's lifetime  of activism for indigenous peoples' rights in the Cordillera, and now, internationally recognized. This is also a recognition of the world's indigenous peoples historic and continuing struggle for their collective rights to self determination and ancestral land.

For a pdf of the press release please click here