Shay Cullen Author

Father Shay Cullen, 83, is an Irish missionary priest and a member of the Missionary Society of St. Columban who founded the PREDA Foundation in 1974. Since his assignment to the Philippines in 1969, where he was initially posted to St. Joseph’s parish in Olongapo City, he has worked to protect women and children from sex slavery and to promote human rights, peace, and non-violence. Born in Dublin on March 27, 1943, he was educated at Presentation College in Glasthule and completed his college education at St. Columban’s in Dalgan Park, Navan, before being ordained in April 1969. Through his ecumenical mission for justice and peace, he established three therapeutic centers for the healing and recovery of victims of sexual exploitation, abuse, and human trafficking. The PREDA Foundation provides legal assistance to help victims find justice, secures the release of unjustly jailed youth from Philippine prisons, and offers them education and recovery. Additionally, his advocacy team conducts community education on human rights and campaigns against corruption. Father Shay also initiated a successful international campaign that led to the closure of US military bases in the Philippines and their conversion into economic zones. As an international speaker and campaigner, he has been nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is a prolific writer and the author of the 2006 memoir "Passion and Power." He writes the weekly column "Reflections" for The Sunday Times (The Manila Times), the weekly series "Jesus of Nazareth Tells His Story" for PREDA's digital platforms, and contributes to various international magazines and newspapers. He resides at the PREDA Foundation in Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines, and can be reached at +63 922 876 8621, [email protected], or [email protected]. His work is documented on www.preda.org and www.predafairtrade.net. Human Rights Awards • Human Rights Award of the German City of Weimar (2000) • Italian Human Rights Award of Ferrara (2001) • Communications Prize of the Association for Progressive Communications (2000) • Prix Caritas of Switzerland (2003) • International Person of the Year (Ireland, 2008) Other Awards • International Solidarity Prize (Spain, 2008), awarded by the 180-year-old Academy of Medical Practice in Barcelona • Irish Music Awards, Humanitarian Award (Ireland, 2009) • Monsieur Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award (Ireland, 2016) • German Shalom Prize for Human Rights, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt (May 2017) • An Cathaoirleach Humanitarian Award, Ireland (2017) • Martin Buber Plaque Award, presented November 2017 in the Netherlands He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2017 by: • Scottish MP Nigel Griffiths (2001) • Canadian MP Hon. David Kilgour of Edmonton Southeast (2002) • Christa Nickels, Human Rights Commissioner and Member of the German Parliament (2003) • Dr. Bärbel Kofler, MdB, German Human Rights Commissioner,