ArtVenture Freedom to Create Prize

Finding light in darkness and courage in truth.

ArtVenture, in association with ARTICLE 19, is proud to launch the inaugural Freedom to Create Prize. This international prize will recognise artists who use their talents to promote human rights, including the freedom of expression, empathy, equality and understanding

In all societies, the development of the arts has been a sign of culture and light. Yet not all governments provide citizens with the ‘freedom to create’ needed to foster innovation, commerce and prosperity. Some governments harass and impoverish their citizens, steal resources, stifle entrepreneurship and undermine human ingenuity and hope. In these societies, art can play an important role in giving a voice to those who are denied opportunity and resources.

ArtVenture Freedom to Create Prize will consist of three categories. The main prize will be open to individuals or artistic groups in all creative fields including the visual and performance arts, music, crafts, design and literature. The winner of this award will receive US$ 50,000.

ArtVenture Freedom to Create Youth Prize will be open to artists who are under the age of 18 with the winner receiving US$ 25,000 scholarship and advocacy prize. The final category, the ArtVenture Freedom to Create Imprisoned Artist Prize, will focus on artists who are currently imprisoned for their artwork. The winner will receive US$ 25,000 towards supporting their family, paying legal costs and supporting advocacy efforts.

This is not an art prize. It will not simply judge the skill of the artist but recognise how the artist has used their work in speaking out in defence of human rights and freedom of expression. The inaugural prize will be a unique and significant award and will be judged by a panel of eminent artists, and human rights experts and philanthropists.
Enter Now

http://www.freedomtocreateprize.com/Prize.asp

Equator Prize 2008
Application Deadline: 31 May 2008

The Equator Initiative is a partnership that brings together the United Nations, civil society, business, governments and communities to help build the capacity and raise the profile of grassroots efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Prize winners receive worldwide recognition for their work as well as an opportunity to help shape national and global policy and practice in the field. Twenty-five community organisations will be honored with the Equator Prize 2008 and US$5,000 each.

Special recognition will be given to regions in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The Equator Prize will be presented in October 2008, in Barcelona, Spain, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.

For more information, http://www.equatorinitiative.org/

John Humphrey Freedom Award – Deadline April 15, 2008

Rights & Democracy is currently accepting nominations for the John Humphrey Freedom Award, which is a grant of $30,000 presented every year to an organization or person who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion of human rights and democratic development. Additional information http://www.dd-rd.ca.

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award
Nomination Deadline: 1 April 2008

The purpose of the annual Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award is to honour those who, at great risk, stand up to oppression in their efforts to support human rights. The Award is intended to honour only individuals who are engaged in non-violent activity.

The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial has recognised the courage and sacrifice of 37 community activists, political prisoners, environmentalists, union organisers and human rights defenders in 21 countries. The Award, which includes a significant cash prize, seeks to draw international attention to the work of brave individuals who make great personal sacrifices, often risking their own lives, to promote respect for the human rights of all people.

The Kennedy Human Rights Award seeks to identify and honour those people who embody Robert Kennedy's belief in the power of individual effort to overcome injustice.

For more information, click here.
http://www.rfkmemorial.org/legacyinaction/selectionprocess/

GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR SAARC AWARD 2007
NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR SAARC AWARD 2007

The SAARC Secretariat invites nominations in English from individuals and organizations from the Member States for the SAARC Award 2007.

The aim of the Award is to honour individual citizens and organizations of South Asia for their exemplary work to promote peace, understanding, friendship and development in the region. The award is conferred at the SAARC Summits.

The prescribed Nomination Form for SAARC AWARD 2007 will be available from the SAARC Division of the Ministries of Foreign/External Affairs of Member States. It may also be downloaded from the SAARC Secretariat’s website www.saarc-sec.org under the link SAARC AWARD 2007.
I. Objectives

1. to encourage individuals and organizations based in South Asia to undertake programmes and activities complementing and supplementing the efforts of SAARC;

2. to honour outstanding contributions and achievements of individuals and organizations of the region in the fields of peace, development, social service, poverty alleviation, environment protection, cultural progress and in other agreed areas of regional cooperation; and

3. to recognize any other outstanding achievements, not covered above, of individuals and organizations in the region whose work or contribution has benefited or inspired the region.
II. The Award

The Award consists of a citation, a gold medal and cash prize of US$ 25,000 (United States Dollars Twenty Five Thousand).
III. Terms and Conditions

1. Nominations must be made on the prescribed Nomination Form available on the SAARC Website www.saarc-sec.org with the link SAARC Award 2007 and be supported by the required documents.

2. Nominations must be made in accordance with terms and conditions as contained in the website. Forwarding letters will not be necessary.

3. The last date for receipt of nomination at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, Nepal is 15 May 2008.

4. The nominations may be sent to the following address:

SAARC AWARD 2007
SAARC Secretariat
P.O.Box 4222
Tridevi Sadak, Thamel
Kathmandu, NEPAL

5. Supporting documents not in English must have an authenticated translation in English

6. The summaries of the nominated individuals and organizations’ accomplishments/ contribution for which the Award is recommended should be precise and factual not more than two pages.

7. Those eligible to make recommendation for nomination shall include individuals, and organizations working in the region.

8. Nominations / recommendations by/ of serving Heads of State/ Government may not be made so as to maintain the integrity of the selection process.

9. Nominations by e-mail, fax or any other electronic form will not be acceptable.

10. Self nominations will not be eligible.

11. Nominations from individuals or organizations where a nominee is a member, employee, employer, a close relative, patron or a founder may not be considered. These would be considered as self-nominations.

12. Posthumous nominations may not be considered.

13. Entries received after the deadline will not be considered.

14. Nominations found to contain false information will not be eligible for the Award.

15. Nominations received within the deadline will be scrutinized by a Selection Committee composed of Members nominated by the Member States of SAARC and their recommendation will then be submitted to the SAARC Council of Ministers for its endorsement.

16. The decision of the Council of Ministers on any aspect of the SAARC Award 2007 will be final and binding.
IV. References

Each recommendation for nomination must have three prominent personalities as referees who are familiar with the nominee’s achievements and contributions. The referees should provide their individual assessments and their contact addresses as they may be contacted by the SAARC Secretary General, if deemed necessary.

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2008 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights
Application Deadline: 15 July 2008

The United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights was instituted by the General Assembly in 1966 (Res. 2217/XXI of 19 December 1966), and was awarded for the first time on 10 December 1968 on the occasion of the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Thereafter, the prize has been awarded in 1973, 1978, 1988, 1993, 1998 and then in 2003. The prize is honorary in nature and is awarded approximately every five years to individuals and organisations in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of human rights.

The Prize is an opportunity not only to give public recognition to the achievements of the awardees themselves, but also to send a clear message to human rights defenders the world over that the international community is grateful for, and supports, their tireless efforts to promote human rights for all.

For more information, click here.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/HRPrizeStory.aspx

2008 Women PeaceMakers Program

Application Deadline: May 23, 2008

The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice (IPJ) in San Diego, California, is currently accepting applications for its Women PeaceMakers Program (WPM). The WPM program is designed for leaders from conflict-affected countries around the world who are transforming conflict and assuring gender-inclusion in post conflict recovery through in human rights advocacy and peace building efforts they lead. These are women whose stories and best practices will be shared internationally; they are women who will have a respite from the frontlines work they do.

Four Women PeaceMakers are selected each year to spend two months in residence at the Institute. They will receive a small stipend while having their unique peacemaking stories documented, through both film and narratives that will be available to inspire others around the world. Women PeaceMakers in residence will have the opportunity to engage with the community through a series of public panels and to meet with other activists and leaders involved in human rights, political action and peacemaking efforts.

The institute is also accepting applications for Peace Writers. Peace Writers document the stories of Women PeaceMakers for publication. Writers will interview the Women and engage in extensive research to become familiar with the histories of their conflicts and peacemaking efforts.

For more information about the program and an application please visit the IPJ web site at http://peace.sandiego.edu or contact Erika Lopez, Women PeaceMakers Program Officer, at erika.lopez@sandiego.edu .

Erika Lopez, M.A.
Women PeaceMakers Program Officer
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, Room 130
University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 260-7569 Tel.
(619) 260-7570 Fax
http://peace.sandiego.edu