Stephen Corry

Stephen Corry

Born	1951 Malaysia
Residence	West Country
Citizenship	British
Fields	Anthropology Human rights
Institutions	Survival International Free Tibet Campaign
Known for	Human rights defender

Stephen Corry (born 1951) is a British anthropologist and indigenous rights activist, better known as the Director of the non-governmental organisation Survival International. He was asked to lead the organisation in 1984, where he took it from a situation of near bankruptcy to becoming one of the world's leading organisations in its field. He was also the chairman of the Free Tibet Campaign for many years, since 1993, and remains on its board.

Biography

Stephen Corry was born in Malaysia, in 1951. He won a scholarship to Gresham's School, where he excelled in rifle shooting.^[1] At the age 16, he left school with the desire to travel and learn other languages.^[2] 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 or 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 were the best.^[2] His experience with these people completely changed his way of thinking. With no electricity or cars, he found them to be living very fulfilling lives. He became even more interested in learning about the tribal people of the world. When he returned to London he thought he would feel out of place. However, in 1972, he found the organisation Survival International. The organisation was re-launching at the time, and he was happy to find there people who thought the way he did.^[1]^[2] Influenced by his travels, and authors such as Jiddu Krishnamurti, he quit the University of Paris, Jussieu, and volunteered. After becoming a member, Corry sought to go to Brazil to study the indigenous people there, but was asked to stay in London and do research.

Stephen Corry later became Projects Director of Survival International.^[3]^[4] 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".^[5] Since 1984, he has served as Director-General of Survival International. Corry is a climber and ski-tourer. He lives in West Country's, England, is married and father of three daughters.

Views

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.^[6]^[7] 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.

Awards

Survival International was awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 1989. Corry gave the acceptance speech.^[6]

References

1 2 Corry, Stephen (2011). Tribal peoples for tomorrow's world. Freeman Press. ISBN 978-1447424130.
1 2 3 "An insight into the life of Stephen Corry". Mmegi. 17 March 2004. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
↑ Hanbury-Tenison, Robin (2004). Worlds Apart: An Explorer's Life. Long Riders' Guild Press. ISBN 1-59048-163-1.
↑ A. Ed., Willem (1975). Case studies on human rights and fundamental freedoms: a world survey. Kluwer Law International. ISBN 90-247-1780-9.
↑ Corry, Stephen (1976). Towards Indian self-determination in Colombia. Survival International. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
1 2 "Right to Livelihood Award – Acceptance Speech by Stephen Corry December 9th, 1989". The Right to Livelihood Award. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
↑ "The Indigenists". The New Yorker. 31 August 1981. Retrieved 25 January 2010.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Stephen Corry

Indigenous and minority rights

Rights	Ancestral domain Free, prior and informed consent Indigenous intellectual property Indigenous land rights Indigenous language Self-determination Traditional knowledge Treaty rights

Governmental organizations	Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Arctic Council Bureau of Indian Affairs Council of Indigenous Peoples Fundação Nacional do Índio National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (Philippines) United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Non-governmental and political organizations	Amazon Watch Assembly of First Nations Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador Congress of Aboriginal Peoples Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin Cultural Survival Friends of Peoples Close to Nature Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs National Indigenous Organization of Colombia Native American Rights Fund Survival International Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization Zapatista Army of National Liberation (more ...)

Issues	Civilizing mission Colonialism Settler colonialism Cultural appropriation Discovery doctrine Homeland Lands inhabited by indigenous peoples Bantustan American Indian reservation Indian reserve Ranchería Manifest destiny Plastic shaman Rainbow Warriors

Legal representation	Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007

Historical cases	2009 Peruvian political crisis Chiapas conflict Depopulation of Diego Garcia High Arctic relocation Indian removal Mapuche conflict Oka Crisis Residential Schools (America, Aotearoa, Canada, South Africa) Rubber boom San controversy Stolen Generations

Human Rights Indigenous rights • Minority rights

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