The European Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma was founded in November 2007 in Heidelberg by the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, the Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma and the Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation. The international prize is endowed with 15,000 Euro by the Foundation. It was awarded for the first time in December 2008.
Against the background of the human rights situation of the Sinti and Roma in many European states – especially in eastern and southeastern Europe – this prize was created to contribute towards the protection and assertion of the civil rights and the equality of opportunity of the members of these minorities in their respective countries. At the same time, the prize should be regarded as a signal to politicians, media and social groups in Europe to take action against deeply rooted clichés and structures of prejudice, in order to gradually overcome their everyday marginalization. The prize is intended to strengthen social engagement and prompt politicians and citizens to actively call for the effective equality of treatment of Sinti and Roma and their integration into all areas of public life.[1]
The prize supports political and social efforts for the lasting protection of the Sinti and Roma people. The prize honours individuals, groups or institutions primarily from the majority, who face up to the historical responsibility and have been exemplary in calling for an improvement in the human rights situation.
The decision is made by an international jury consisting of eight members. Permanent members of the jury are the head of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma and the head of the Manfred-Lautenschläger-Foundation. They choose the other four jury-members, who are appointed for four years. Every jury-member is able to nominate laureates, the election results from majority decision. Award winners are not eligible for a second prize.
| year | name | function | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Wladyslaw Bartoszewski | State Secretary and adviser in regards to foreign affairs of the Polish prime minister | |
| 2010 | Simone Veil | Former president of the European Parliament | |
| 2012 | Thomas Hammarberg | Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe | |
| 2014 | Tilman Zülch | Founder and general secretary of the Society for Threatened Peoples | |
| 2016 | Amnesty International | Non-governmental organization focused on human rights |