Cordillera cultural workers bag global human rights award

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For more than three decades, the Dap-ayan ti Kultura iti Kordilyera has been at the forefront of the Cordillera region’s struggle against militarization, environmental destruction and land dispossession

BAGUIO, Philippines – A collective of cultural workers has spent decades chronicling indigenous peoples’ struggle not with guns but with gongs, poems and protest plays in a region long scarred by militarization and land grabs. This year, their work has been recognized on the world stage.

Dap-ayan ti Kultura iti Kordilyera (DKK) was awarded the 2025 Special Prize of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights by South Korea’s May 18 Memorial Foundation. The foundation recognized DKK’s persistent efforts to defend indigenous peoples’ rights and preserve collective memory through cultural work.

For more than three decades, DKK has been at the forefront of the Cordillera region’s struggle against militarization, environmental destruction and land dispossession. Founded in 1991, the alliance of artists and cultural workers has used workshops, performances and partnerships with schools, churches and communities to advance Indigenous rights and promote justice.

“This recognition affirms our continued commitment to the defense of human rights, justice, and dignity for all,” the group said in a statement.

“It also stands as a testament to the tireless work of four generations of cultural activists within the organization, whose creativity, ideas, and unyielding commitment to justice and social change have been fundamental in advancing human rights through a cultural movement,” DKK added.

Through art and cultural expression, DKK has mobilized communities, documented resistance and challenged historical distortions. 

The group played a significant role in the September 2022 production of Martial Law @ 50 and the December 2023 remounting of Malou Jacob’s play Macli-ing, about the Kalinga elder and Chico Dam struggle martyr.

“We will continue to stand at the intersection of arts and culture and activism, as every step we take is for the safeguarding of our identity and heritage, the assertion of indigenous peoples’ right to ancestral domain and self-determination, and the protection of those who share our struggle for peace rooted in justice,” the group said.

Luchie Maranan, DKK’s vice chairperson for external affairs, said the group’s work is closely tied to the Cordillera peoples’ defense of ancestral land and their right to self-determination.

“DKK drew its creative energy, inspiration, and guidance from the Cordillera people’s struggle that spans half a century,” the Baguio-based, multi-awarded writer and cultural worker said.

“The myriad body of work in music, theatre and visual arts illustrates the historic role of progressive cultural workers as chroniclers and agents of social change amidst and despite state repression,” Maranan added.

The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights was established in 2000 to recognize individuals and organizations that significantly contribute to advancing democracy and human rights. The Special Prize, introduced in 2011, honors outstanding achievements in the cultural, journalistic and academic fields.

In 2019, Igorot activist Joanna Patricia Kintanar Cariño became the first Filipino to receive the award for her lifelong human rights advocacy.

DKK said it shares this year’s honors with Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), the recipient of the main Gwangju Prize. Based in Jakarta, AJAR works with survivors of human rights abuses in Southeast Asia, promoting truth-telling, reconciliation and justice. It runs programs in Thailand, Timor-Leste and Bangladesh, including work on the Rohingya.

“We offer our sincere congratulations to our esteemed co-awardee,” DKK said.

The award honors the Gwangju Uprising of 1980, when South Korean citizens rose against military dictatorship. The movement’s violent suppression became a global symbol of resistance against oppression. – Rappler.com