| Stephen Corry | |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | British |
| Fields | Anthropology Human rights |
| Institutions | Survival International Free Tibet Campaign |
| Known for | Human rights defender |
Stephen Corry is a British anthropologist and indigenous rights activist, better known as the Director of the non-governmental organisation Survival International. He has also been the chairman of the Free Tibet Campaign since 1993.
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Stephen Corry left school at the age 16 with a burning desire to travel and learn languages.[1] With little guidance, he travelled to places like Nepal, Turkey and India. Because his mother was born in India, he was particularly interested in learning about the country and fulfilling his passion of mountain climbing. At 18 he found himself at Mount Everest, Nepal. With no money and no support, Corry had to rely on the local people for sustenance. Before his interaction with the Himalayan tribes, he had always believed that British civilisation and development was the best.[1] His experience with these people completely changed his mindset. With no electricity or cars, he found them to be living very fulfilling lives. They had no schools but they were very intelligent people. He became even more interested in learning about the tribal people of the world. When he returned to London he felt that he would be out of place with the general outlook. He was happily surprised to find people who thought the way he did among members of Survival International. In 1972, the organisation was re-launching and he immediately joined them. Upon becoming a member, he wanted to be dispatched to Brazil in order to study the indigenous people in Brazil, but was asked to stay in London and do research.
Stephen Corry later became Projects Director of Survival International.[2][3] According to explorer and Survival's founder and President, Robin Hanbury-Tenison, after several long field trips to South America on their behalf, combined with an ability to relate to Amerindians and anthropologists, Corry had become an expert on the status of the Indians of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. He had started his work with Survival with the ambitious intention of compiling a World Red Book of Threatened Peoples - parallel to the IUCN's "Red Book of Threatened Species", an idea which was proposed to him by Robin Hanbury-Tenison, while discussing his future role in Survival International. In 1974 he spent nine months in Colombia researching the situation of the indigenous tribal peoples and setting up several projects for funding by the Joint Projects Committee. On his return, in 1976, he published his report, "Towards Indian Self-determination in Colombia".[4] Since 1984, he has served as Director-General of Survival International. Stephen Corry is married and father of three daughters.
Stephen Corry has worked as a member of Survival International with the perspective that indigenous people have both moral and legal rights to their lands.[5][6] The protection of this right is considered essential for their survival. They believe that governments must acknowledge this and that this is only possible if they are made to by force of public opinion. Survival International believes that the culture of this people is of great value, and it is now put at great risk from a violent interference on their way of living.
Survival International was awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 1989. Corry gave the acceptance speech.[5]
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