Secretary GeneralAlliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN)
Rukka Sombolinggi is in her second term as secretary-general of the Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN). She was born and raised in Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and belongs to the Indigenous Toraja, who inhabit the highlands of South Sulawesi. Prior to joining AMAN in 2000, Rukka was involved in the Indigenous peoples’ movement through the Jaringan Pembelaan Hak-hak Masyarakat Adat (JAPHAMA) or Network for the Defense of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, a network and working group of Indigenous people and environmental activists that later gave birth to AMAN. In more than 20 years working at AMAN, Rukka has had various positions, including national advocacy staff, international advocacy coordinator, special staff to the secretary general and to the deputy to the secretary-general for advocacy, legal, and political affairs. She also worked as a program specialist at the United Nations Development Program for the Regional Indigenous Peoples' Program in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2006-2010. Rukka holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Hasanuddin University in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and a master’s degree in political science from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.