Joan Carling has become the first Filipino Indigenous activist to win the 2024 Right Livelihood Award. Also referred to as the Alternative Nobel Prize, the award annually honors individuals and organizations committed to advancing social justice and environmental causes. In an announcement video on Oct. 3, Right Livelihood Award Foundation executive director Ole von Uexkuell acknowledged Carling for “raising Indigenous voices in the face of global ecological breakdown, and her leadership in defending people, lands and culture.” Carling currently serves as executive director of Philippine-based NGO Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) and chairs several organizations focused on Indigenous rights. She received the honor alongside Palestinian human rights activist Issa Amro, Mozambican environmental activist Anabela Lemos, and research agency Forensic Architecture. Carling hails from the Kankanaey tribe of Mountain Province in the Philippines, which has been ranked as the deadliest Asian country for environment defenders. For more than three decades, she has led local and international campaigns to address discrimination and challenges faced by Indigenous groups. Carling told Mongabay that the award is very meaningful for her as it highlights her lifetime commitment to serve and fight for the rights of Indigenous peoples. “It’s not just about me, but [also about] Indigenous peoples around the world,” she said. “It also sends a powerful message that finally our voices are being acknowledged in the global platform, and that defending our rights and the environment and basically upholding human dignity for all is valid and important.” The Right Livelihood Award comes with a…This article was originally published on Mongabay
The post Joan Carling is 1st Indigenous Filipino to win Right Livelihood Award first appeared on EnviroLink Network.