Indonesia Project volunteer wins 2007 Winnipeg YMCA-YWCA Peace Medal

Kevin Freedman, a recently returned PBI Indonesia Project Volunteer, won the 2007 Winnipeg, Canada YMCA-YWCA Peace Medal. The YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg marks YMCA World Peace Week by engaging people of all ages in exploring peace and integrating peace building activities into in their personal lives.

As a volunteer with PBI, Kevin's work accompanying human rights defenders in Papua is best summed up by one person he helped: "I am very happy with the accompaniment from PBI and so is my family. I feel supported and safer, and the people in Manokwari know that LP3BH (Legal Aid NGO) is not alone." Yan Christian Warinussy, 2006 Winner of the John Humphrey Award.

In May 2006 a devastating earthquake hit the Jogjakarta region while Kevin was living there; 6,000 died and more than a million were left homeless in one of the poorest provinces in the country. In subsequent weeks Kevin and some friends (including Kristy Rebenchuk from Winnipeg) provided emergency relief to hundreds of victims - using their own money and almost $7,000 in donations gathered through a website created by Kevin. The group went out nearly every day until the middle of July when Kristy and Kevin left Jogjakarta.

Kevin is still involved with Peace Brigades International and likely will be for a long time. He is currently finishing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Winnipeg and volunteers with Canadian Blood Services. Kevin’s next plans are to return to Indonesia when done school in December to help out with disaster relief and he hopes to study law in 2008.

A former PBI Volunteer in El Salvador, Karen Ridd, also won this award in 1990.