Reebok Announces 2003 Human Rights Awards; Activists from Asia, North America, and Africa to be...

Business Editors

CANTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 20, 2003

A physician and human rights activist who works to help people caught in the middle of violent conflicts, a youth leader who fights against discrimination and human rights abuses against Latinos in California, a community

activist helping to empower low income immigrants in New York, an attorney in Sierra Leone fighting for children's rights, and a human rights defender who works to combat human rights abuses in the Congo have all been named recipients of the 2003 Reebok Human Rights Award.

Ernest Guevarra of the Philippines, Pedro Anaya of San Diego, Oona Chatterjee of New York, Mohamed Pa-Momo Fofanah of Sierra Leone, and Christian Mukosa of the Democratic Republic of Congo will be presented the award at a ceremony on April 10, 2003 at the Shubert Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ernest Guevarra is a young doctor in the Philippines who risks his life to bring healthcare to people in conflict zones. Currently working to provide care to over 40,000 refugees fleeing from armed conflict in Mindanao, Ernest is a staunch advocate for the basic right of access to healthcare for innocent, marginalized populations. Pedro Anaya has been a leading voice in California in the fight for the rights of Latinos, migrant farm workers and undocumented immigrants. As the continuing education director for theNational Conference for Community and Justice, he works to foster leadership and encourage young people to fight injustice in their communities. Oona Chatterjee co-founded Make the Road by Walking (MRBW), a unique community-run organization in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. MRBW is committed to empowering residents to advocate for their rights and to improve conditions in the predominantly poor, immigrant neighborhood. Mohamed Pa-Momo Fofanah is a lawyer who defends the rights of children, and is working to build a juvenile justice system in Sierra Leone -- a country ravaged by unspeakable atrocities. Christian Mukosa is also an attorney and human rights monitor, who works courageously to expose human rights violations in the turbulent and dangerous Democratic Republic of Congo.

Established in 1988, the Reebok Human Rights Award honors activists thirty years old or younger who--against great odds and often at great personal risk--have made significant contributions to the field of human rights, strictly through non-violent means. Since 1988, 72 recipients from 34 countries have been selected. The Award aims to strengthen the work of these young heroes by attracting international attention to both the recipients and their issues.

"Every year the recipients of the Reebok Human Rights Award come forward to tell their stories to the world," noted Paul Fireman, Chairman and CEO of Reebok. "And each year, we are struck by the spirit, determination, and fortitude of these young heroes, and their undaunted commitment to fight for a better world. It is truly an honor for Reebok to support them, and we are proud to call attention to their extraordinary efforts."

Award recipients receive a $50,000 grant from the Reebok Human Rights Foundation to help further their work. They also have the opportunity to participate in Forefront, a network of recipients that help each other gain skills and resources, share strategies and opportunities, communicate with the international community, and respond to crises.

The recipients of the 2003 Reebok Human Rights Award are:

Ernest Guevarra

Early on, Ernest Guevarra (age 24) knew his life's mission was to be a doctor and to promote human rights. As a student activist, he helped found Medical Students for Social Responsibility and spearheaded campaigns advocating for the health needs of the vulnerable and disadvantaged. When Ernest graduated, he became a volunteer doctor in Mindanao with the Medical Action Group, providing care to victims of human rights violations. One month after September 11th, Ernest was asked to join a fact-finding mission to Basilan, an area with a number of Muslim rebel groups. Government forces were aggressively arresting hundreds of Muslim suspects, and it was alleged that many of them were being tortured.

As Ernest was examining the prisoners, an armed guard threatened him with an M-16 rifle and locked him up with the detainees. Undaunted, Ernest continued his examinations and demanded that the prisoners receive proper treatment. When he was finally released, Ernest and the team pressed on into the perilous region controlled by separatist rebels to provide humanitarian assistance to a community under siege.

They soon found themselves hostages. "After hours of talking and offering sacks of rice and dried fish, we were able to negotiate a safe passage home," Ernest said. "I was happy to come out of that situation alive, but sad that people there continue to confront harsher forms of violence and abuse. And, unlike us, they do not have the option to leave."

Despite the personal risk, Ernest chose to remain in Mindanao. Several days ago, the Philippine military invaded the region where Ernest is working in search of a rebel group. Thousands of villagers have been forced to leave the area. As the only doctor in the region, Ernest is responding to the crisis, providing an emergency health response system to over 40,000 refugees.

Pedro Anaya

In his early teenage years, Pedro Anaya (age 24) was more interested in gangs than he was in human rights. But some influential mentors and a school assignment helped steer him in a different direction. When asked to write about an American hero, Pedro chose Mexican American activist Cesar Chavez. Dismayed when his teacher rebuked him for writing about a "Mexican" rather than an American hero, Pedro vowed to raise awareness about Chavez. Since then, he has used Chavez's life and values as a model to inspire young people.

Pedro fights human rights abuses against Latinos of Mexican origin, the frequent target of discrimination and prejudice in the San Diego area. While still in high school, he organized a campaign to rescind the California proposition that would prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving benefits or public services. In college, Pedro brought campus groups and inner-city organizations together to support the United Farm Workers. He proved to local farm workers that by organizing, they could gain a voice, regardless of legal status or language. And he marshaled support to force growers to address health and safety problems and to replace deplorable worker encampments with proper housing.

As continuing education director for the National Conference for Community and Justice, Pedro now pursues his personal campaign to empower Latinos. He has already worked with more than a thousand young people, fostering leadership and mobilizing them to learn to combat social injustices and prejudice.

Oona Chatterjee

Community organizer Oona Chatterjee (age 29) took inspiration from poet Antonio Machado who wrote, "Searcher, there is no road. We make the road by walking." Oona became an activist for social change in Bushwick, a poor and largely immigrant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. In 1997, she and a colleague founded Make the Road by Walking (MRBW), a unique community-based organization built on the belief that the center of leadership must be within the community itself. Since then, the organization has grown dramatically and now includes over 600 members, a member-elected board composed of low-income community residents, and a staff of twelve.

Over the past 5 years, MRBW has achieved many improvements to the lives of Bushwick residents. Members recently forced New York City to conform to federal law and provide translation services to non-English speakers in all of its food stamp, welfare, and Medicaid offices. They also forced dozens of neighborhood employers to pay more than $100,000 in illegally withheld wages to garment workers. They have educated residents on how to prevent, detect, and treat lead poisoning. They launched GLOBE (Gays and Lesbians of Bushwick Empowered) to fight homophobia and to provide the community's first safe space for gay men and women. And, with Oona as the driving force, their Youth Power Project recently helped redirect $53 million of New York City's budget away from the expansion of juvenile jail facilities and toward youth development projects.

Mohamed Pa-Momo Fofanah

Mohamed Pa-Momo Fofanah (age 30) is an attorney in Sierra Leone dedicated to defending the rights of children caught in a web of poverty and unspeakable atrocities.

Sierra Leone recently emerged from a ruthless, decade-long civil war, in which tens of thousands of civilians were killed, over 100,000 were mutilated, tortured and raped, and millions were driven from their homes. Many were compelled to work as slave laborers, and children were forced to become soldiers and commit violent acts against family and neighbors. This decade of destruction has left 75% of Sierra Leone's population under the age of 25, and has decimated the country's economy and infrastructure. Extreme poverty is rampant, and an adequate juvenile justice system is nearly non-existent. As a result, children have become both victims of abuse as well as offenders--often resorting to crime just to survive.

Since receiving his law degree in 1998, Pa-Momo has worked tirelessly to defend the rights of children and to improve the treatment of juveniles in the justice system. He has worked with the Sierra Leone office of Defense for Children International, where he provides free legal advice on children's rights, represents juveniles arbitrarily arrested and detained, and takes up cases of child abuse and rape. To further strengthen his fight for the protection of children, Pa-Momo also helped create the Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance (LAWCLA), the only organization in Sierra Leone to offer free legal services to indigent victims of human rights abuses.

Christian Mukosa

Christian Mukosa (age 28), also an attorney, fights to expose human rights violations in the Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in one of the world's most dangerous and turbulent settings. Since 1998, the Kivu provinces have been the battleground between Congolese forces and a host of armed rebel groups. The broader war has fueled interethnic strife, resulting in civilian deaths and the punishment of groups for suspected loyalty to rival forces. Human rights defenders who try to report on the abuses are repeatedly threatened and arrested.

As a field investigator and lawyer for Heritiers de la Justice, Christian gathered information on abuses by meeting with victims and visiting detention centers. He also represented indigent victims at no cost, pressured local authorities to respect the law, and trained local activists to monitor human rights violations.

Christian and his colleagues responded to reports of human rights violations by confronting authorities directly with evidence. Each week, they released one-page appeals on particular cases and distributed them to local and international human rights organizations and the United Nations. They also published an annual report on human rights violations.

Despite financial pressures and constant death threats, Christian continues his fight for human rights amidst great danger.

"These young people are all true human rights champions," said Paul Fireman. "With astonishing courage, ingenuity, and resilience, they fight for the rights of the vulnerable. And they inspire us all to open our eyes to the work that must be done, to defend human rights around the world and in our own lives."

For more information about the Reebok Human Rights Award, or for more information on the recipients, please visit www.reebok.com/human rights.

To download photographs of the 2003 Reebok Human Rights Award recipients, please contact:

    Jared Jones                             Jeff Duhamel
    Coltrin & Associates                    Reebok International Ltd.
    (212) 221-1616                          (781) 401-4443
    jared_jones@coltrin.com                 jeff.duhamel@reebok.com