AIANZ Human Rights Defender Award - Shortlist announced

Five people have been shortlisted for the inaugural Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand (AIANZ) Human Rights Defender Award.

Patrick Holmes, CEO of AIANZ said: "We were delighted to receive such a wide range of nominations in our first year and it is encouraging to know that we have such a high calibre of human rights defenders working both here in New Zealand and across the Pacific region."

"For those who work in the field of human rights, the struggle never ends.  The job of human rights defenders is incredibly important, yet those on the frontline often go unrecognised," says Holmes.

"This award aims to rectify the absence of that recognition here in our own region", he adds.

Shortlisted candidates (in alphabetical order):
•    Shamima Ali, Executive Director of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC), Suva
•    Sue Bradford, former Green MP and activist, Auckland
•    Kathleen Dunstall, Secretary for the Howard League for Penal Reform, Christchurch
•    Deborah Manning, former refugee advocate and counsel for Ahmed Zaoui, now Geneva-based
•    The Very Reverend John Stewart Murray, peace activist, Kapiti Coast

See below for more information on nominees.

Background

Across New Zealand and the Pacific, thousands of people work to end grave abuses of human rights.  This award will annually go to one person who has shown extraordinary dedication and commitment to the struggle.  The winner of the Human Rights Defender Award will be announced in Auckland on December 10th, International Human Rights Day.

The judging panel was Meg Poutasi, Chief Executive of the Pacific Co-operation Foundation; Rosslyn Noonan Chief Commissioner of the NZ Human Rights Commission and Amnesty’s Patrick Holmes.

Christchurch artist Michael Reed was commissioned to produce a medallion to be presented to the winner.  Speaking about his involvement in the project Michael commented ‘I have a great respect for Amnesty and its work. As I believe that art should engage with the wider world the opportunity to design an award for Amnesty, acknowledging the defence of human rights was a great opportunity’. 

About the shorlisted nominees

Shamima Ali, Executive Director of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) in Suva, Fiji.  Shamima has been at the forefront of combating violence against women in Fiji and the Pacific for more than three decades.  Through her work with the FWCC she has helped thousands of women in Fiji & the Pacific who are survivors of violence, and has been an outspoken critic of the current military dictatorship in Fiji.

Sue Bradford, Auckland, has been active on social justice, peace and women’s issues since 1967.  Sue has been involved with various groups and movements over the years and among them she helped set up and run the first Auckland Peoples Centres providing affordable medical and dental services to low income high needs sectors of the community.  She was first elected to Parliament in 1999 and served four terms as an MP during which time she successfully campaigned for repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act seeking to ensure that children in New Zealand be afforded the same rights as adults not to be physically assaulted.

Christchurch woman Kathleen Dunstall is the secretary for the Howard League for Penal Reform which works to assist prisoners and their families and ensure that their human rights are met.   Over the years Kathy has helped countless prisoners and their families through her work

Deborah Manning, now Senior Legal Officer at Alkarama Foundation for Human Rights, Geneva, an international human rights group which seeks to promote and protect human rights, especially in the Arab world.  Prior to this appointment Deborah tirelessly fronted Ahmed Zaoui’s legal team and had consistently campaigned for improved refugee and asylum seeker rights.

The Very Reverend John Stewart Murray, Kapiti Coast, has been working for over 45 years to change the attitudes of New Zealanders to be more aware and caring through his tireless work on human rights, peace, race relations and disarmament concerns.  He is a co-founder of CARE (Citizen’s for Racial Equality) and he has been involved with the NZ Race Relations Council.