Philippines: Nun wins major human rights award

Sr Stella Matutina on right

Benedictine Sister Stella Matutina, is being honoured with the 2015 Weimar Award for Human Rights for her work for the rights of residents of the Philippine Island of Mindanao - despite threats to her life.

The Awarding Committee of the Weimar Award for Human Rights, endorsed a recommendation from the aid organization, Missio. Sr Matutina, 47, age, will receive the award in December.

Weimer City Council said in a statement: "The Filipina nun pits herself against serious human rights violations in her homeland that occur in connection with the gold extraction of international companies in the Philippine Island of Mindanao. The number of violations against the human rights of indigenous peoples of Mindanao, caused by military and paramilitary units, have increased dramatically in the past two years with over one hundred killed. The Catholic nun engages herself extraordinarily for the rights of the native population, despite being exposed to frequent threats to her safety."

The Award for Human Rights of the City of Weimar has been awarded since 1995 annually to persons and organisations who engage in:

- the freedom and equality of all human beings,
- the prevention and condemnation of genocide,
- the right to free speech of individuals to free information,
- the participation of human beings in the public affairs of their states,
- the right of assembly and the right of organisation as well as the implementation of free, secret and regularly recurring elections,
- the respect and preservation of political, ethnic, cultural and religious rights of minorities,
- [helping] people persecuted for political, gender, religious or racial reasons, and who open for them possibilities of human flourishing in their homes or in the countries which are their new homes,
- the repeal of the death penalty,
- minimizing arms and armament exports into areas of crisis and to non-democratically legitimate governments,
- the implementation of political and ethical principles that show the way for the future,
- the rights of victims of war and other victims of violence.

The award ceremony will take place on December 10, the International Day of Human Rights.