Activist Wardah honored<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Honors and awards are the last thing an activist fighting for the
\nrights of the poor seeks.<\/p>\n
The looks on the faces of people who have gotten back their
\nhomes after being evicted, the smiles of pedicab drivers who have
\nnot lost their sole means of support, these are all the
\nrecognition a dedicated activist requires.<\/p>\n
However, through her tireless efforts on behalf of the poor,
\nstaunch government critic Wardah Hafidz has been honored by the
\nKorean-based Asian Human Right Commission, which named the
\nactivist this year's winner of the Gwangju Prize for Human
\nRights.<\/p>\n
Wardah, the leader of the Jakarta-based Urban Poor Consortium
\n(UPC), has been recognized for her work on behalf of the urban
\npoor, including pedicab drivers and street vendors.<\/p>\n
\"Aware of the alienation of the poor under such political and
\nsocial conditions, Wardah Hafidz, leader of the Urban Poor
\nConsortium in Indonesia, has played an active role in formulating
\nsocial welfare policies for the poor by empowering them ...,\" the
\ncommittee said in a written statement.<\/p>\n
Wardah will be receive a gold medal, a certificate and
\nUS$50,000 in a ceremony scheduled for May 18.<\/p>\n
Previous winners of the award include East Timor's Xanana
\nGusmao and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar.<\/p>\n
The UPC works to raise awareness of issues such as the
\ndemolition of homes by developers and the lack of clean drinking
\nwater, electricity and public infrastructure, as well as other
\nissues that marginalize the urban poor.<\/p>\n
The non-governmental organization received the prestigious Yap
\nThian Hien human rights award in 2000.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/activist-wardah-honored-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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