{{Short description|Indonesian environmentalist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Yosepha Alomang | image = | caption = | birth_date = c. 1940s | birth_place = Tsinga, Papua, Indonesia | other_names = Mama Yosepha | alma_mater = | occupation = human rights defender and environmental activist | years_active = | employer = | agent = | spouse = | partner = | children = 6 | father = | relatives = | awards = Yap Thiam Hien Award (1999)<br>Goldman Environmental Prize (2001) }} '''Yosepha Alomang''' (born c. 1940s), also known as '''Mama Yosepha''', is an Amungin Indonesian indigenous human rights defender and environmental activist. She has been awarded the Yap Thiam Hien Award and Goldman Environmental Prize.
== Early life and family == Alomang was born in the 1940s, in Tsinga, Papua, Indonesia and is of the Amung people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Yosepha Alomang - a Papuan woman fighting for human and environmental rights |url=https://www.downtoearth-indonesia.org/story/yosepha-alomang-papuan-woman-fighting-human-and-environmental-rights |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Down to Earth Indonesia |archive-date=24 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124173028/https://www.downtoearth-indonesia.org/story/yosepha-alomang-papuan-woman-fighting-human-and-environmental-rights |url-status=live }}</ref> The province of Papua, is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet.<ref name="goldman" /> During her childhood, Alomang moved around, along with other villagers, because of orders from the colonial Dutch government and then the Indonesian government.<ref name=":0" />
Alomang married Markus Kwalik in the 1970s and they had 6 children.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2025-02-03 |title=Papua: Kisah orang asli Papua tolak blok minyak terbesar di Indonesia, tak mau 'tragedi bom' 1977 terulang |url=https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/articles/c4gxenzdpj4o |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=BBC News Indonesia |language=id |archive-date=3 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250403102853/https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/articles/c4gxenzdpj4o |url-status=live }}</ref> When her husband failed to pay her dowry according to customary law, Yosepha herself tried hard to save and pay it, to avoid her family's anger.<ref name=":0" />
In 1977, hundreds of Amungme people cut American gold mining company Freeport-McMoRan's pipeline, because the company was considered to have seized land belonging to the Amungme people. A military operation was carried out in retaliation and Alomang fled with her family from the Tsinga Valley into the forest to hide. In the forest her three year old daughter Johanna died of starvation.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />
== Activism == In 1991, Alomang led a three-day occupation and demonstration at Timika Airport against Freeport-McMoRan and the Indonesian government's refusal to listen to local people's concerns.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Vanduwin |first=Rickdy |title=Yosepha Alomang: Stand Up for Humanity and Care About the Environment |url=https://affinitymagazine.us/2017/04/25/yosepha-alomang-stand-up-for-humanity-and-care-about-environment/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Affinity Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=25 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425135541/https://affinitymagazine.us/2017/04/25/yosepha-alomang-stand-up-for-humanity-and-care-about-environment/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Choudhury |first=Tarita Roy |date=2022-04-19 |title=The Land Is Our Mother |url=https://womensearthalliance.org/in-the-news/adolfinakuum-land-is-our-mother/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Women's Earth Alliance |language=en-US |archive-date=25 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425135540/https://womensearthalliance.org/in-the-news/adolfinakuum-land-is-our-mother/ |url-status=live }}</ref> She was accused of helping Free Papua Movement fighter, Kelly Kwalik.<ref name=":1" />
Due to her activism, she was arrested and tortured by Indonesia’s state security forces in 1994.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Indigenous Heroes |url=https://www.ipmsdl.org/indigenous-heroes/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725145419/https://www.ipmsdl.org/indigenous-heroes/ |archive-date=25 July 2023 |access-date=2025-04-03 |work=International Indigenous Peoples Movement |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref> She was locked in a shipping container for days in high heat and with little food or water.<ref>{{Cite book |last=C.S.C |first=Oliver F. Williams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fJFZDgAAQBAJ&dq=Yosepha+Alomang&pg=PT52 |title=Peace through Commerce: Responsible Corporate Citizenship and the Ideals of the United Nations Global Compact |date=2008-09-15 |publisher=University of Notre Dame Pess |isbn=978-0-268-09685-4 |language=en}}</ref> She was also prevented from leaving Indonesia in 1998 when she wanted to attend a shareholders meeting in London, England.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Agyeman |first1=Julian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KK0DtHxhGboC&dq=Yosepha+Alomang&pg=RA4-PA2006 |title=Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World |last2=Bullard |first2=Robert |last3=Evans |first3=Bob |date=2012-04-27 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-136-56266-2 |pages=2006 |language=en}}</ref>
In 1996, Alomang launched a civil lawsuit in the United States against Freeport-McMoRan, suing for compensation for both personal injury and environmental damages.<ref name=":0" /> Her litigation attracted the support of international environmental and human rights NGOs working with mining affected communities.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Walker |first1=John H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MX_wBgAAQBAJ&dq=Yosepha+Alomang&pg=PA129 |title=The Politics of the Periphery in Indonesia: Social and Geographical Perspectives |last2=Banks |first2=Glenn |last3=Sakai |first3=Minako |date=2009-01-01 |publisher=NUS Press |isbn=978-9971-69-479-1 |pages=129 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Summy |first=Ralph V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l6S2CwAAQBAJ&dq=Yosepha+Alomang&pg=PA91 |title=Nonviolent Alternatives for Social Change |date=2009-06-16 |publisher=EOLSS Publications |isbn=978-1-84826-220-1 |pages=91 |language=en}}</ref>
In 2003, after a landslide and pit collapse at the Freeport's Grasberg mine killed 8 workers,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Protests over fatal collapse at Freeport/Rio Tinto West Papua mine |url=https://www.downtoearth-indonesia.org/story/protests-over-fatal-collapse-freeportrio-tinto-west-papua-mine |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Down to Earth Indonesia}}</ref> which was found to be as a result of negligence,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Freeport-McMoran: Corporate Rap Sheet |url=https://www.corp-research.org/freeport-mcmoran |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Corporate Research Project |archive-date=2 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250302232152/https://www.corp-research.org/freeport-mcmoran |url-status=live }}</ref> Alomang called on Freeport-McMoRan to leave Papua, accusing the company of causing the accident and massive environmental damage.<ref name=":0" />
Alomang also campaigned for the distribution of alcohol to be made illegal in Timika.<ref name=":0" />
== Awards == Alomang was awarded the Yap Thiam Hien Award in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-27 |title=Mama Yosepha Alomang: Papuan women must defend human rights |url=https://westpapua.online/2020/07/27/mama-yosepha-alomang-papuan-women-must-defend-human-rights/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=WEST PAPUA |language=en |archive-date=25 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425135556/https://westpapua.online/2020/07/27/mama-yosepha-alomang-papuan-women-must-defend-human-rights/ |url-status=live }}</ref> She established YAHAMAK, the Foundation Against Violence and for Human Rights, using money from the prize.<ref name=":1" />
She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize (also known as the Green Nobel) in 2001, for her efforts on organizing her community to resist Freeport-McMoRan's practices over three decades that had destroyed rainforests, polluted rivers, and displaced communities.<ref name="goldman">Goldman Environmental Prize: [http://www.goldmanprize.org/node/66 Yosepha Alomang] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023053103/http://www.goldmanprize.org/node/66 |date=October 23, 2007 }} (Retrieved on November 10, 2007)</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAZ6UIyRu3Y |title=Yosepha Alomang: 2001 Goldman Prize winner, Indonesia |date=2013-09-30 |last=Goldman Environmental Prize |access-date=2025-04-03 |via=YouTube |archive-date=25 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425135539/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAZ6UIyRu3Y |url-status=live }}</ref> The American gold mining company offered to award her $250,000 for receiving the Prize, but she refused their money.
Alomang's life story has been published in a book entitled ''Pergulatan seorang Perempuan Papua Melawa.''
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Alomang, Yosepha}} Category:1940s births Category:Living people Category:Indonesian environmentalists Category:Indonesian human rights activists Category:Indonesian women activists Category:People from Mimika Regency Category:Goldman Environmental Prize awardees Category:Year of birth missing (living people)