Award for Bougainville activist

Vikki John, long-time activist for peace and human rights and 
National Co-ordinator of the Bougainville Freedom Movement, has 
been awarded the Elizabeth Hastings Memorial Award by the Sydney 
University of Technology in recognition of her work.

In a short response Vikki said: "I am very honoured and proud to 
have received the Elizabeth Hastings Memorial Award for Student 
Community Contribution at the UTS Human Rights Awards 2004.

"I would like to thank you all for your continued support of 
Bougainville."

The award is given to a UTS student in recognition of a 
significant contribution to the community in the areas of equity, 
diversity, social justice or human rights.

Ms John's tireless campaigning raised international awareness of 
Bougainville as an important political issue. For 11 years she 
has assisted the people of Bougainville on the political front 
and in practical matters.

She collected humanitarian aid in the form of medicines, school 
materials and clothing, and arranged for their transportation to 
the island with trade union assistance.

She has been a vital international link between NGOs, trade 
unions, political organisations, churches, activist groups and 
the Bougainville people.

She organised numerous fund-raising functions, conferences, 
public meetings and protests over the years to raise the profile 
of the campaign.

Blockade

During the blockade of Bougainville in the 1990s four of Ms 
John' fellow activists were arrested. She then led an 
international campaign to have the charges dropped, with letters 
of support for the activists flooding in from all over the world. 
Many of the letters were read out during the court case and the 
charges were eventually dropped.

Vikki John has published numerous works on Bougainville, 
including authoring a chapter of the book As Mothers of the 
Land about the birth of the Bougainville Women for Peace and 
Freedom movement.

In 1998 she was invited to Canberra to participate in the peace 
negotiations process, and finally made her first visit to 
Bougainville in 2002 as a participant in a Reconciliation 
Ceremony held on the island.

The Guardian staff extend their congratulations to Vikki 
and our appreciation of her tireless work.