Presly
Presly is an indigenous rights defender, human rights activist and youth mobiliser.
Country: Nicaragua
Movement: MOJIMM
Presly is an indigenous rights advocate, human rights activist and youth mobilizer. His conviction to exercise a role of leadership and social change in his community has deep roots.
"The Miskitu indigenous peoples throughout these 40 years have been divided and fragmented and have suffered genocide, repression and discrimination in cold blood."
His main motivation is the attitude he sees many young people have towards community development and the survival of their people. They usually say:
"I'm not interested in my people and their lives, I live my life I'm not interested in defending anyone's rights."
In the face of this indifference, Presly feels that he can lead by example and show that there are other possibilities, that the betterment of indigenous communities is a role that everyone can play.
"Growing up, I lived with different indigenous communities. In this period, I could see up close, hear and live the different needs that many communities live within the territories, including murders, poverty and displacement."
Although knowing that other members of his community were facing difficult situations was a great motivation, he also lived through many of these events firsthand.
"I lived and suffered extreme poverty, racial discrimination of mestizos and the same violence that has lived for decades and is still latent in these territories. Nicaragua is a country where growing up in an indigenous community is synonymous with contempt."
As a leader, Presly knows that great challenges also require great solutions.
"With many other young people, we are creating a movement to promote social justice, in search of better living conditions and reduction of discrimination. I have decided to exercise activism to add voices towards the vindication of our existence, and as young people, I know we have that potential."
And while a movement and its internal organization are valuable, it also needs concrete actions to achieve its goals.
"Our movement has been denouncing at the local, municipal, regional and international level the serious situation of conflicts towards human rights and the armed struggle that occurs in the territories against our communities."
Aware that to have more impact and be more effective as a movement, it is necessary to have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes, Presly emphasizes the group's joint development work.
"Within these initiatives is capacity building on social issues on citizen participation, a culture of peace, alternative conflict resolution methods, territorial governance and youth leadership."
Advisory Group
