Patricia Pak Poy
{{Short description|Australian nun, educator and activist}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Patricia Geraldine Pak Poy
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|10|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| education = St. Aloyisus College, Adelaide
| occupation = Humanitarian, nun, and educator
| known_for = Social justice advocacy, particularly for the ban on the use of landmines.
}}
Sister Patricia Pak Poy is an Australian nun, educator and activist known for her contributions to social justice, particularly for the ban on the use of landmines.{{Cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Carolyn |title=Trailblazers: 100 inspiring south Australian women |last2=Eccleston |first2=Roy |date=2019 |publisher=Wakefield Press |isbn=978-1-74305-690-5 |location=Mile End, South Australia}}
Early life and education
Pak Poy was born on 16 October 1935 in Darwin, Australia to Chinese immigrant parents, Alberta Chee Quee and William Pak Poy. She and her four siblings grew up in Darwin, where their father owned a general store.{{Cite web |title=Patricia Pak Poy interviewed by Alison McDougall in the Mortlock Library collection [sound recording] - Catalogue {{!}} National Library of Australia |url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/4903753 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=catalogue.nla.gov.au |language=en}} The family evacuated to Adelaide during World War II to escape the impending threat of Japanese bombings in Darwin.
She attended St Aloysius College, Adelaide from the age of six, and later, the University of Adelaide, where she studied arts and trained to become a teacher. Following a year as a lay teacher at St Aloysius College, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1957 and made her Final Profession in 1962.{{Cite web |title=Sr Patricia Pak Poy |url=https://library.sac.sa.edu.au/history-of-st-aloysius-college/people/sac-principals/sr-patricia-pak-poy |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=St Aloysius College |language=en-AU}} In 1963, she obtained a Diploma of Education and travelled to the United States for further studies. From July 1970 to May 1976 she returned to Adelaide undertake the role of Principal of St Aloysius College.
Humanitarian work
After joining the Sisters of Mercy, Pak Poy dedicated herself to education and social justice causes. She was involved in many social justice projects, including the opening of Catherine House, a crisis centre in Adelaide for women experiencing homelessness,{{Cite web |last=Mayer |first=Lara |date=2023-09-26 |title=Rita Miller's Story: Celebrating 35 Years of Catherine House |url=https://catherinehouse.org.au/2023/09/rita-millers-story-celebrating-35-years-of-catherine-house/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Catherine House |language=en}} as well as the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, and Australian Catholic Relief.{{Cite web |title=International Alert Series: The BIG Issues - Fighting HIV and AIDS |url=https://www.unisa.edu.au/connect/hawke-centre/events-and-exhibitions/events/2006/international-alert-series-the-big-issues12/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Home |language=en}}
Her work took her to Asia, where she collaborated with the Jesuit Refugee Service to improve the lives of refugees in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.{{Cite web |title=The evolution of JRS Australia - Celebrating 40 years of JRS |url=https://aus.jrs.net/en/news/the-evolution-of-jrs-australia/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=JRS Australia |language=en-GB}} During this time, she became acutely aware of the urgent need for landmine clearance in Cambodia and the need for support of the civilian victims.{{Cite web |date=2000-12-19 |title=Spirituality and Social Change |url=https://www.abc.net.au/listen/radionational/archived/religionreport/spirituality-and-social-change/3482330 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=ABC Radio National |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |title=Networking To Ban Landmines |url=https://www.abc.net.au/science/kelvin/files/s48.htm |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=www.abc.net.au |publisher=ABC Radio National}} This experience prompting her to start advocating for a ban on the use of landmines,{{Cite web |title=Landmine Monitor Report 2000 - Appendices: Government of Australia |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/landmines/LMWeb-38.htm |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=www.hrw.org}} which she did by studying refugee law and networking globally with Human Rights and humanitarian organisations and councils.
The ban of landmines
She made contact with the Halo Trust whilst in the UK at Oxford University, and upon returning to Australia, Pak Poy took on the role of the first National Coordinator of the Australian Network of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL-AN).{{cite news |date=24 February 1999 |title=Breakfast to aid Third World women |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article280057802 |accessdate=16 April 2025 |newspaper=Hills Messenger |location=South Australia |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia |volume= |issue=1528}} Under her leadership, the organisation played a crucial role in changing Australian government policy.{{Cite web |date=30 October 1996 |title=Joint Standing Committee on Treaties: RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF BLINDING LASER WEAPONS AND LANDMINES, 5th Report. APPENDIX 1 WITNESSES AT PUBLIC HEARINGS. |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/%20%20house_of_representatives_committees?url=jsct/reports/report5/appndx1.htm |website=Parliament of Australia}} In 1995, ICBL-AN launched a petition calling for a total ban on anti-personnel landmines.{{Cite web |title=Safe Ground |url=https://safeground.org.au/about/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=safeground.org.au}}
In 1997, she represented Australia as a non-government member of the Australian Delegation to the discussions and negotiations for the UN Review of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and Protocol II and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction.{{Cite web |last=Koorey |first=Stephanie |date=2017-12-20 |title=The landmine ban, 20 years on |url=https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/landmine-ban-20-years/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=The Strategist |language=en-AU}} She was present when the then Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, signed the Ottawa Treaty, banning the use of landmines
The treaty came into force on 1 March 1999 and in that same year, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), headed internationally by Jody Williams, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Awards and recognition
Pak Poy has been recognised in Australia and internationally for her humanitarian work, including:
- 1997 - International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) campaign is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
- 1998 - Member of the Order of Australia, "for service to the community particularly as national coordinator of the Australian Network of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines since its inception in 1993."{{Cite web |title=Australian Honours Search Facility |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/882121 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=honours.pmc.gov.au}}
- 1998 - Returned Services League ANZAC Peace Prize
- 2002 - Human Rights Award from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
- 2003 - Honorary Doctorate from the Australian Catholic University{{Cite web |title=Honorary doctorate holders |url=https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/reputation-and-ranking/honorary-doctorate-holders |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=www.acu.edu.au |language=en}}
Memberships
- Chief Patron of the UN Association of Australia (SA Division){{Cite web |title=Our People |url=https://www.unaasa.org.au/our-people/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=UNAA South Australia |language=en}}
- Human Rights Council of Australia.{{Cite web |title=HRCA Members |url=https://www.hrca.org.au/what-is-hrca/members/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Human Rights Council of Australia |language=en-US}}
- Hope Adelaide Inc.
- Chair of the Management Committee of the Incorporated Association of Australian Sisters of Mercy (Mercy Works Inc.){{Cite news |date=April 2020 |title=Shining Lamps for 20 years |url=https://www.mercyworks.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/MW-Mini-Bilum-April-2020.pdf |work=Mercy Works: Mini-Bilum}}
Publications
- Pak-Poy, Patricia & Tasmanian Peace Trust (1998). Building our capacity for peace. Tasmanian Peace Trust, [Hobart].{{Citation |author1=Pak-Poy, Patricia |title=Building our capacity for peace |publication-date=1998 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28670743 |access-date=16 April 2025 |publisher=Tasmanian Peace Trust |author2=Tasmanian Peace Trust}}
- Fisher, Rosie & Pak-Poy, Patricia & South Australia. Children's Interests Bureau (1986). Children are residents too! : children in the housing estate : a set of guidelines for planning. Children's Interests Bureau, [Adelaide].{{Citation |author1=Fisher, Rosie |title=Children are residents too! : children in the housing estate : a set of guidelines for planning |publication-date=1986 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/25522632 |access-date=16 April 2025 |publisher=Children's Interests Bureau |author2=Pak-Poy, Patricia |author3=South Australia. Children's Interests Bureau}}
- Pak-Poy, Patricia (Contributor) & United Faculty of Theology - Jesuit Theological College (Contributor) & Gray, Janette (Creator) (2006). Campaigning to Ban Landmines: A Theological Reflection. David Lovell.{{Citation |last1=Pak-Poy |first1=Patricia |title=Campaigning to Ban Landmines: A Theological Reflection |work=United Faculty of Theology - Jesuit Theological College |publication-date=2006 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/250160799 |access-date=16 April 2025 |publisher=David Lovell |last2=Gray |first2=Janette}}
- Pak-Poy, Patricia (Contributor) & United Faculty of Theology - Uniting Church Theological College (Contributor) & Massam, Katharine (Creator) (2006). Ethics and Theology in the Public Square: the Australian Network of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. David Lovell.{{Citation |author1=Pak-Poy, Patricia (Contributor) |title=Ethics and Theology in the Public Square: the Australian Network of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines |publication-date=2006 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/250160869 |access-date=16 April 2025 |publisher=David Lovell |author2=United Faculty of Theology - Uniting Church Theological College (Contributor) |author3=Massam, Katharine (Creator)}}
- Pak-Poy, Patricia & Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (Australia) (1980). Development education : some thoughts on education to justice in the Australian context : a short paper prepared in response to an invitation of the bishops of the Episcopal Committee for Development and Peace. Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, Brickfield Hill [N.S.W.].{{Citation |author1=Pak-Poy, Patricia |title=Development education : some thoughts on education to justice in the Australian context : a short paper prepared in response to an invitation of the bishops of the Episcopal Committee for Development and Peace |publication-date=1980 |publisher=Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace |isbn=978-0-9593958-0-8 |author2=Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (Australia)}}
- Pak Poy, Patricia & Pak-Poy, Patricia, (editor.) & International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Australian Network, (contributor.) (2006). A path is made by walking it : reflections on the Australian Network to Ban Landmines, 1991-2006. David Lovell Publishing in conjunction with ICBL Australian Network to Ban Landmines, East Kew, Vic.{{Citation |author1=Pak Poy |first=Patricia |title=A path is made by walking it : reflections on the Australian Network to Ban Landmines, 1991-2006 |publication-date=2006 |publisher=David Lovell Publishing in conjunction with ICBL Australian Network to Ban Landmines |isbn=978-1-86355-118-2}}