Activist fighting for press freedom in the Philippines and winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize will receive the award on June 21
The Cannes Lions Festival announced that Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler, representative of the fight for press freedom in the Philippines and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, will attend the 2024 Cannes LionHeart.
Maria will join the likes of Yvon Chouinard, Malala Yousafzai, Al Gore, Bono and Paul Polman, who have also received the award that celebrates people who have used their positions to make a significant and positive difference in the world.
“We are delighted to honor Maria Ressa with such an important award. This recognition supports the tireless dedication to safeguarding freedom of expression, through her remarkable leadership at Rappler to combat the spread of misinformation. Maria has been instrumental in redefining investigative journalism and his work is an inspiration to us all,” said Simon Cook, CEO of Cannes Lions.
Throughout her career, Maria led the battle for democracy, suffered constant political persecution and arrests by the Duterte government. In November 2022, she released the book “How to Stand Up to a Dictator”, which has already been translated into 20 languages.
“Technology, violence and wars challenge our humanity. Cannes LionHeart reminds us that imagination and creativity, along with empathy, are crucial for us to get through this period. Thank you for recognizing Rappler’s work, where we continue to fight against adversity to help create the world we want”, celebrated the honoree.
Ressa will take to the Debussy Stage on Friday, June 21, to give her speech and receive the award.
(Credit: Flickr)
