Rosa Koian is a human rights and environmentalism activist from

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

Life

Koian is a leading member of the Bismarck Ramu Group, a non-governmental organisation based in

Madang Province Madang is a province of Papua New Guinea. The province is on the northern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea and has many of the country's highest peaks, active volcanoes and its biggest mix of languages. The capital is the town of Madang. ...

, Papua New Guinea. The group represents indigenous communities on development and conservation issues. The group leads legal challenges against the advances of international corporations, particularly in resource extraction industries and

palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 33% of global oils produced from ...

production. Koian also works with sufferers of

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

to assist them to lead active lives and advocates for their needs. Koian worked with the

Oakland Institute The Oakland Institute is a progressive think tank founded in 2004 by Anuradha Mittal. It is headquartered in Oakland, California. Mission and areas of focus Since 2011, the Institute has investigated land investment deals in developing countr ...

on a film ''On Our Land,'' which was released in 2013 and described the rapid and massive appropriation of Papua New Guinean land by foreign-owned corporations.

Publications

* 'Social and economic impact of climate change in Papua New Guinea'. ''Catalyst'', Vol. 42, No. 1, 2012: 69-83.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koian, Rosa Living people People from Madang Province Year of birth missing (living people) Papua New Guinean environmentalists Papua New Guinean women environmentalists