People’s Recovery Empowerment Development Assistance or Preda is a charitable organization that was founded in Olongapo City, Philippines in 1974. This small non-profit organization has a number of purposes which include the promotion and protection of the dignity and the Human Rights of the Filipino people, especially of women and children. The main focus is to assist the sexually-exploited and abused children.
Contents
- Shay Cullen
- Preda projects
- PREDA Vision
- Mission statement
- Activities to Attain Set Goals
- Spiritual Renewal
- Fil American children
- Campaign Against Pedophiles and Human Trafficking
- Threats and Harassment against PREDA Staff
- Awards and nominations
- References
The Preda Foundation is licensed and accredited by the Philippine Government. The Preda Foundation is dedicated to the protection of children and working for social transformation and a just and corrupt free society. It has worked to prevent children being locked in small, cramped jails without basic rights. Preda has been actively involved in helping victims of the human trafficking and sex slave trade in the Angeles City. Preda has been involved in promoting and defending the Rights of Children and their Defenders.
Shay Cullen
Father Shay Cullen is a Catholic Missionary priest from Dublin, Ireland, a member of the Missionary Society of St. Columban. He helped found the charity in 1974 along with Alex Corpus Hermoso and Merly Ramirez. Since then, Fr. Shay Cullen has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize twice. Fr. Shay addressed the U.S. House Committee On International Relations. Preda Foundation and Fr. Shay Cullen were awarded the prestigious Human Rights Award from the City of Weimar, in Germany. Preda cooperates closely with international legal tribunals Interpol and the UN Commission on Human Rights.
Preda projects
PREDA Vision
We, the members of the PREDA Foundation, our friends and supporters envision a just, free, peaceful and prosperous society that serves the common good, respects human rights, especially the rights of children. A society built on faith and virtue and spiritual values that overcomes poverty by a fair distribution of wealth, opportunity and resources. It restores and preserves the environment and builds up self-reliant communities through the participation of the people and respects and restores the culture of indigenous peoples.
Mission statement
To work for just laws and their implementation that will empower the poor, and protect their rights.
To protect the weak and the defenseless especially children and women exploited in demeaning labor, especially prostitution.
To come to the assistance of the sexually abused and develop Fair Trade programs that will help alleviate poverty and exploitation.
Activities to Attain Set Goals
To provide the following services; rescue, treatment and recovery for sexually and physically abused children.
To investigate and prosecute abusers, to prevent and protect children and youth against child abuse, substance abuse and AIDS.
To provide leadership training.
To work with media to develop public awareness and protect children.
To help families be self-reliant, promote livelihood training and employment with just wages by providing capital, interest free loans, technical assistance to producers and markets through the Fair Trade Movement and the commercial market.
Spiritual Renewal
To promote spiritual renewal and transformation, strengthen Filipino dignity and self-esteem and work for social and economic justice for the poor and the oppressed.
Lobby legislators in the Philippines and elsewhere to enact just laws protecting the people's rights and to campaign to change the national policy to make the poor and marginalized the national priority.
Fil-American children
Preda has been highly active in the cause of helping Fil-American Children. Preda Social workers organized the association of 720 mother of Fil-American children, provided family research assistance and helping to pursue a class action suit in the US court of complaints in Washington D.C. on behalf of the children in 1993. Preda visited and lobbied the US congress and State Department and succeeded in advancing a US congressional resolution assigning $650,000 for the FilAm children through US AID and other agencies.
Campaign Against Pedophiles and Human Trafficking
Preda has been highly active in the Philippines in a campaign against pedophiles and human trafficking. The Preda Human Rights team lobbied successfully for the passing of the Olongapo City Anti-Prostitution Ordinance #51. In March, 2008, Preda organized a march from the Olongapo City hall with banners and placards to the gate of the former United States Military base and held a rally calling for the implementation of the law and for the city government to cancel permits given to sex bars and clubs. This was a historic first. Never was there such a public protest allowed on the streets before. Preda have been actively involved in the fight against the child sex slavery trade in the notorious pedophile haunt of Angeles. Working undercover with law enforcement agencies and volunteers, with the help of hidden cameras, they have uncovered bars trafficking children for prostitution in Angeles.
Threats and Harassment against PREDA Staff
PREDA staffers receive threats from pedophiles and their sympathizers in the sex tourist industry. The staff are continually harassed with false charges and smear campaigns to prevent them pursuing justice for victims of sexual abuse. As a result, PREDA works for the implementation of the UN Declaration of 1998 protecting the defenders of human rights against such abuse. When Father Shay Cullen exposed a child prostitution ring in Subic Bay he was threatened with deportation.