Human rights campaigner Fr Shay Cullen featured in Irish Government video for St Patrick’s Day

A leading international Catholic speaker and human rights campaigner has been featured in an official Irish Government video to mark St Patrick’s Day.

Irish Catholic missionary priest and the founder of the PREDA Foundation, Fr Shay Cullen SSCME is one of a number of irish figures who are shown in the promotional video, which is aimed at demonstrating the significant contribution of the Irish abroad.

Born in Dublin in 1943, Fr Shay was educated at Presentation College, Glasthule, Co. Dublin He completed his college education at St. Columban’s, Dalgan Park, Navan, Ireland and was ordained a missionary priest in April 1969 and went to the Philippines that same year.

He has worked to protect vulnerable people from sex slavery and has promoted human rights, peace, and non-violence in the Philippines since his arrival in the country in 1969.

Shay established The Preda Foundation in Olongapo City in 1974. It is a Philippine human rights social development organization which aims to educate and advocate people about human rights through public seminars and a theatre group that tours internationally. Preda protect the dignity of women and children and campaign to end sex tourism and the commercial sexual exploitation of the poor.

Fr Shay has been nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize.