Posts Tagged ‘Aurora Prize’

Nominations for 2022 Aurora Prize stand at 592

November 2, 2021

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has announced the end of the nomination period for the seventh Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. Hundreds of people from across the globe have nominated 592 unique candidates. Nominations officially opened on April 24, 2021, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, following the announcement of five 2021 Aurora Humanitarians, chosen by the Aurora Prize Selection Committee for their courage, commitment and impact. Overall, a total of 633 submissions have been received for the 2022 Aurora Prize, hailing from 62 countries including Armenia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Georgia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, USA and Ukraine, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative’s press office said in a statement.

See: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/35D4B5E3-D290-5DF9-08E1-14E6B3012FFA

“As someone who has just been honoured with the Aurora Prize, it makes me very happy to know that so many deserving candidates have been nominated this year. The Prize reflects a cycle of kindness that brings a message of peace, solidarity, and support to the world and, most importantly, to all these people who work around the clock. And now, they have a chance to be named the 2022 Aurora Prize Laureate and make an even bigger difference in the world,” said 2021 Aurora Prize Laureate Julienne Lusenge [see: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2021/10/11/congolese-julienne-lusenge-wins-1-million-2021-aurora-prize/].

A shortlist will be assessed by the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, who will select the 2022 Aurora Humanitarians and ultimately the Aurora Prize Laureate. 

“In the midst of the dreadful challenges the world has faced over the past year and a half, extraordinary individuals such as the 2022 Aurora Prize nominees provide a source of inspiration and motivation in the selfless and courageous work they undertake. Alongside my fellow members of the Selection Committee, there is always much impassioned discussion and debate in selecting the Aurora Humanitarians and ultimately the Laureate, seeking to distinguish between so many remarkable acts of kindness, resilience and compassion. The process, however, is also most gratifying and a great privilege to be able to shine a light on some incredible, life-changing endeavours” noted Lord Ara Darzi, Chair of Aurora Prize Selection Committee and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.

The names of the 2022 Aurora Humanitarians will be revealed on April 24, 2022, and the 2022 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity will be awarded on behalf of the survivors of Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviours later in 2022.

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1066977/

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Congolese Julienne Lusenge wins 1 million $ 2021 Aurora Prize

October 11, 2021

The sixth annual Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity was awarded on 9 October 2021 to Julienne Lusenge, a human rights defender, co-founder of Women’s Solidarity for Inclusive Peace and Development (SOFEPADI) and Fund for Congolese Women (FFC), who has been helping the victims of wartime sexual violence for years. Her boundless courage and tireless activism have shone a light on the desperate plight of thousands of Congolese women subjected to horrific sexual abuse amidst the civil war in the country, exposing the perpetrators and bringing them to justice. She was named the 2021 Aurora Prize Laureate at the Ceremony titled “Reviving Together” that was held in Venice, Italy. For more on the Aurora Prize and its laureates, see: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/35D4B5E3-D290-5DF9-08E1-14E6B3012FFA

“Julienne Lusenge’s exceptional achievements remind us of the impact one person can have, even when encountering the seemingly insurmountable pressure and risks. By recognizing her courage, commitment and selflessness, we are hopeful that she can also inspire each one of us to think about what we can do to stand up on behalf of those whose rights are abused and who are in dire need of our solidarity and support,” noted Lord Ara Darzi, Chair of Aurora Prize Selection Committee and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London. Julienne Lusenge won 4 earlier awards: see https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/d373dbdb-b269-4ecd-810c-bfd05b18859c

As the 2021 Aurora Prize Laureate, Julienne Lusenge will receive a $1,000,000 grant and a chance to continue the cycle of giving by supporting organizations that help people in need. This year, considering the acute needs of the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) affected by the 2020 war, Aurora will recommend her to direct 25% of the award funds to addressing urgent humanitarian issues in Artsakh. The Aurora Co-Founders are committed to matching this contribution to bring the total amount to $500,000. Besides this, Ms. Lusenge has nominated three organizations that support grassroots women’s organizations, empower survivors of gender-based violence and reintegrate internally displaced persons: 

  • Fund for Congolese Women;
  •  League for Congolese Solidarity;
  • Association of Mothers for Development and Peace. 

“The outstanding work carried out by Julienne Lusenge and her organizations that help women, as well as her courage and perseverance in going against powerful local forces to protect them, is an example of empathy, kindness and dedication. One of the most important goals of Aurora is empowering such heroes, and we are grateful for the opportunity to do just that,” said Hina Jilani, Aurora Prize Selection Committee member and Former United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders.. 

https://hetq.am/en/article/136528

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/world/armenian-humanitarian-prize-awarded-to-congol-1372496.html

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Call for nominations for Aurora Prize 2020 now open

May 16, 2019


Nominations are open for the 2020 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. For more information on this and other awards see: http://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/aurora-prize-for-awakening-humanity. Every year the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative grants a US $1,000,000 award to the Laureate who receives a unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by supporting the organizations that have inspired their humanitarian work. Read the rest of this entry »

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Nominees for the 2019 Aurora Prize are…

May 1, 2019

On 24 April 2019 the nominees for the Aurora Prize [see http://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/aurora-prize-for-awakening-humanity] were announced:

  • Mr. Mirza Dinnayi, Co-Founder and Director of Luftbrücke Irak (Airbridge Iraq), a humanitarian organization that flies Yazidi victims from Iraq to Germany for medical treatment. Mirza Dinnayi has helped several hundred women escape from the territories controlled by ISIS, personally taking part in missions to bring them back to safety, and delivered food and water to the Yazidis in isolated areas. Driven by his passion to save lives, he has found a way to overcome numerous bureaucratic and logistic obstacles to help the most vulnerable. Mr. Dinnayi has nominated three organizations that provide educational opportunities to underserved students and disaster relief: Air Bridge Iraq, SEED Foundation and Shai Fund.
  • Mr. Zannah Bukar Mustapha, lawyer, Director and Founder of Future Prowess Islamic Foundation – a school that provides education to some of the most deprived children in Maiduguri, Nigeria. In October 2016, he secretly traveled to meet with Boko Haram rebels in their Sambisa forest hideout during a media blackout and left with 21 children. Thirteen months later, supported by ICRC, the Swiss government and the Nigerian authorities, he negotiated the additional release of 82 girls. Zannah Bukar Mustapha has nominated three organizations that aim to reduce conflict through strong community effort and good governance: Future Prowess Islamic Foundation, Adab Community Renewal Foundation and Herwa Community Development Initiative.
  • Huda Al-Sarari, lawyer and activist. Huda Al-Sarari is a brave and inspiring Yemeni human rights activist, who singlehandedly investigates, exposes and challenges a clandestine network of secret prisons run by foreign governments in Yemen, where thousands of men and boys have faced arbitrary detention. She has amassed incontrovertible evidence of the abuse that takes place within the prisons and succeeded in convincing Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to take up the cause. She has nominated an international organization that defends victims of extreme human rights abuse and two organizations that combat discrimination and promote equality: Reprieve, Equal Rights Trust and Wethaq Foundation for Civil Orientation.

(The Selection Committee had chosen the three Aurora Humanitarians from 719 nominations for 523 unique candidates submitted from 72 countries)

For last year’s, see: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2018/06/10/1-million-aurora-prize-awarded-to-rohingya-human-rights-defender-kyaw-hla-aung/

The 2019 Aurora Prize ceremony will take place on October 14-21, 2019, in Yerevan, Armenia.

http://www.armradio.am/en/11548

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Nominations are open for the 2018 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity

June 28, 2017

Nominations are Open for the 2018 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. The Aurora Prize is seeking the stories of selfless individuals who demonstrate exceptional courage and commitment, whose work has evidence of significant impact, and who do so at great personal risk. Each year the Aurora Prize honors someone who will receive a $100,000 grant, as well as the unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organizations that inspire their work for a $1,000,000 award.

Anyone can nominate a candidate who they believe has risked their life, health, freedom, reputation or livelihood to make an exceptional impact on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes. Nominations for the 2018 Aurora Prize can be submitted before September 8, 2017 at http://www.auroraprize.com.

The 2017 Aurora Prize went to Dr. Tom Catena, a Catholic missionary from Amsterdam, New York who has saved thousands of lives as the sole doctor permanently based in Sudan’s war-ravaged Nuba Mountains where humanitarian aid is restricted. Dr. Catena named the African Mission Healthcare Foundation (U.S.), the Catholic Medical Mission Board (U.S.), and Aktion Canchanabury (Germany) as the beneficiaries of the $1 million award.

The Aurora Prize Selection Committee includes Oscar Arias, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee; former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson; former Foreign Minister of Australia, Gareth Evans; President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Vartan Gregorian; former UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders, Hina Jilani, former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo, and actor and philanthropist, George Clooney.

The Aurora Prize was founded on the principle of Gratitude in Action—those who have been victimized and survived express thanks in a concrete way, by daring to offer help and hope to those in urgent need, and thus initiating a cycle of giving that transforms the saved into saviors. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is represented by three organizations—Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation, Inc. (New York), the 100 Lives Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) and the IDeA Foundation (Yerevan).

see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2016/04/25/inaugural-aurora-prize-1-million-goes-to-marguerite-barankitse-founder-of-burundian-orphanage/

Source: Nominations are Open for the 2018 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity | The Armenian Weekly

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Inaugural Aurora Prize (1 million $) goes to Marguerite Barankitse, founder of Burundian orphanage

April 25, 2016

Marguerite Barankitse from Maison Shalom and REMA Hospital in Burundi was named as the inaugural Laureate of the $1 million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. At a ceremony held in Yerevan on 24 April 2016, Barankitse was recognized for the extraordinary impact she has had in saving thousands of lives and caring for orphans and refugees during the years of civil war in Burundi. Read the rest of this entry »

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