Rukka Sombolinggi is a versatile woman. She performs the roles of a leader, an activist, a farmer, a scholar, a wife, and a mother. Interestingly, she is the first female secretary-general of the Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN) to be chosen. As the largest organization in the world for indigenous peoples, AMAN represents over 2,200 villages and over 15 million people throughout Indonesia. Rukka's many hats demonstrate her dedication to a range of interests, including family, farming, academics, and indigenous rights activism.
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Rukka Sombolinggi Wiki/Bio, Ethnicity
| NAME | RUKKA SOMBOLINGGI |
|---|---|
| Birth year | 1973 |
| Birth place | Sangalla, Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| Ethnicity | Toraja |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Religion | Kejawen (a syncretic faith that mixes parts of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and animism) |
| Education | Bachelor degree from the Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University; Master degree in Political Science from the University of Chulalongkorn |
| Occupation | Secretary-general of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) |
| Spouse | Mansur Labada |
| Children | Four |
| Awards | Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2023) |
| Interests | Traveling, learning about different cultures and places, especially those related to indigenous peoples |
| Links | Instagram- @rsombolinggi7777 Linkedin- @rukka-sombolinggi-6b820164 Homepage- Wikiupdateslive |
Family
Rukka Sombolinggi turned 50 years old in 2023, having been born in 1973. Her birthplace is Sangalla, a town situated in the Sulawesi highlands. Sulawesi is an Indonesian island formed like a starfish. Rukka belongs to the Toraja ethnic group, which is well-known for its elaborate funeral customs and a strong sense of cultural identity.
Rukka Sombolinggi grew up in a household that had been actively involved in the early 1990s indigenous rights movement. Her parents were instrumental in the beginning of the indigenous rights movement in Indonesia in 1993 when they hosted a gathering that is widely considered to be the first of its kind. The Network of Defenders of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Jaringan Pembela Hak-Hak Masyarakat Adat – JAPHAMA) was founded as a result of this meeting. Later on, JAPHAMA developed into one of the main organizations that brought about the first indigenous peoples' conference in Indonesia, which took place in March 1999. The Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN) was formally established during this convention.
Rukka graduated with a bachelor's degree from Hasanuddin University in Makassar, Sulawesi's Faculty of Agriculture. After that, she went on to the University of Chulalongkorn in Bangkok, Thailand, to complete her master's degree in political science. There, she focused her thesis on the political engagement of Indonesian indigenous women.
Rukka Sombolinggi's Husband and Kids
In 1994, Rukka Sombolinggi wed Mansur Labada, a leader of the Moronene ethnic group in Southeast Sulawesi and a fellow campaigner. Mansur was a founding member of both AMAN and JAPHAMA.
But they had difficulties in their marriage. Rukka remembered that her husband had forbidden her from making money after they were married. He desired that she take care of their kids at home. She claimed she needed to work things out with him and persuade him that she could do both.
In August 1998, she became pregnant with their third child and encountered another challenging circumstance. Her husband was imprisoned for spearheading the opposition against the local government's and security forces' eviction of the Moronene people from their traditional grounds in Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park. Many people denounced the eviction as a severe human rights violation and as cruel treatment of the indigenous peoples.
Rukka was left to raise their three children by herself while working for the rights of the Moronene people and her husband's release. She claimed that her parents, friends, and fellow campaigners had all given her support. She added that her spouse had taught her a great deal about life's challenges and goals.
Mansur and Rukka Sombolinggi are still wed and have four kids together. They cultivate their own food and reside in a small home in Bogor, West Java. She stated she makes an effort to maintain a healthy work-family balance and that she frequently brings her kids along to her events and activities. She expressed her desire for her kids to understand their indigenous heritage and their responsibilities.
Career and Accomplishments
In 1999, Rukka Sombolinggi began working with AMAN as an employee. She worked on several topics, including education, health, women's empowerment, and climate change. Additionally, she represented AMAN in both domestic and international forums, including the World Social Forum and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).
Rukka Sombolinggi departed AMAN in 2007 to work as a program specialist for the UNDP Regional Indigenous Peoples Programme at the UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Early in 2011, she went back to work as a project manager at AMAN. She was given the responsibility of chairing the organizing committee for the fourth Indigenous Peoples Congress, which brought together over a thousand Indigenous delegates from all around Indonesia, later that year in Halmahera, North Maluku.
She also served as a representative of Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor Leste on the executive council of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), a regional network of indigenous organizations and movements in Asia, from 2009 to 2012.
She created history in 2017 when she was chosen to serve as AMAN's secretary-general. More than 1,500 indigenous leaders and supporters attended the fifth Indigenous Peoples Congress in Tanjung Gusta, North Sumatra, where the delegates selected her. She expressed her hope that more women will be encouraged to assume leadership roles in their communities and organizations, citing her election as a recognition of the importance and contribution of indigenous women in the movement.
Rukka leads the advocacy and campaigns for the recognition and defense of the rights of indigenous peoples in Indonesia in her capacity as secretary-general of AMAN, in addition to supervising the organization's operations and programs. She also represents AMAN and acts as its spokesman in several national and international forums and discussions.
- As the secretary-general of AMAN, Rukka Sombolinggi has accomplished and overcome some things:
- The Law on the Recognition and Protection of Indigenous Peoples' Rights (PPHMA) was passed in 2018:
- Rukka Sombolinggi was instrumental in pushing for and ensuring the historic PPHMA's enactment in 2018.
- The law creates a framework for recognizing and defending the rights of indigenous peoples and is the first of its type in Indonesia.
- Important rights including the right to self-determination, rights to ancestral lands and natural resources, the freedom to express one's culture, and the ability to participate in decision-making processes are all included.
Capacity Building and Solidarity Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic:
- By starting the AMAN Peduli initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rukka showed leadership. The program's main goal is to help indigenous communities that have been severely affected by the pandemic by offering healthcare and humanitarian aid. Furthermore, Rukka's AMAN Bersama program helps indigenous communities share knowledge and lessons learned to address and overcome pandemic-related obstacles.
Expanding Networks and Partnerships:
- Rukka has made a concerted effort to grow AMAN's alliances and network. International organizations, media outlets, government agencies, academic institutions, and civil society organizations all collaborate. Building trusting connections with key politicians and officials, including the president, vice president, ministers, members of parliament, governors, mayors, and religious leaders, has been a calculated tactic in promoting indigenous peoples' engagement in national development and government.
- Rukka faces numerous threats and obstacles from state and non-state entities that oppose or undermine Indonesia's indigenous rights.
- Parties opposed to the acknowledgment and preservation of these rights have subjected her to acts of intimidation, harassment, defamation, and criminality, particularly in the context of conflicts involving land and natural resources.
- Rukka has faced prejudice and opposition from some patriarchal and orthodox groups within the indigenous peoples' movement, who doubt her authority and validity as a female leader.
Rukka Sombolinggi's Net Worth
| YEAR | NET WORTH |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $600,000 |
| 2022 | $400,000 |
| 2021 | $300,000 |
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