Freedom Award Explained
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) bestows its Freedom Award for extraordinary contributions to the cause of refugees and human freedom. According to the IRC, "The Freedom Award reveals the remarkable ability of an individual to shape history and change for the better a world moving toward freedom for all."
The IRC was founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein,[1] and made its first Freedom Award in 1957, to German politician Willy Brandt, who went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.[2] The following year, the award was presented to Winston Churchill, British prime minister during the Second World War, for his "dedicated and devoted service to the cause of human liberty". The first joint recipients of the award were Lane Kirkland and his wife Irena who won the prize in 1981. Lane was honored for his "long devotion to the cause of refugees" while Irena was described as "very much a human rights activist". Chinese dissidents Li Shuxian and Fang Lizhi were jointly honored in 1991;[3] two American Presidents, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton took the prize as a pair in 2005, and film actress Angelina Jolie and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees High Commissioner António Guterres received the award together in 2007.
Since the first award presentation in 1957, the IRC has made it to 46 recipients, 24 of which were American; the majority of awards have been to politicians. The 1995 presentation was made in absentia to Burmese pro-democracy campaigner and leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, Aung San Suu Kyi.[4] The 2011 award ceremony was held in New York City, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in November, where the presentation was made to the Brokaw family.[5] In 2012, John C. Whitehead received the prize for a second time, the only person to do so.
Recipients
Notes
- A ^ Lord's award was made posthumously.[8]
- B ^ Distinguished Humanitarian Award[8]
- C ^ Distinguished Public Service Award[8]
- D ^ Special Freedom Award Recipient, in absentia[8]
Notes and References
- Web site: IRC at a glance . . 2010-04-22 . 2012-09-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120908214235/http://www.theirc.org/irc-a-glance . dead .
- Web site: The Nobel Peace Prize 1971 . 2010-04-22 . Nobel Foundation . 2008-10-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081024052354/http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1971/index.html . live .
- Web site: Statements by Chinese Dissidents and Beijing. The New York Times. 2010-05-01. 1990-06-26. 2018-11-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20181124162654/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/26/world/statements-by-chinese-dissidents-and-beijing.html?pagewanted=1. live.
- Web site: Profile: Aung San Suu Kyi. BBC News. 2010-05-01. 2009-08-11. 2009-05-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20090514084007/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1950505.stm. live.
- Web site: 2011 Freedom Award: Honoring the Brokaw Family . . 2013-03-27 . 2011-11-10 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130720162027/http://www.rescue.org/blog/2011-freedom-award-honoring-brokaw-family . 2013-07-20 .
- Web site: Notes on people; Kirklands to Get Awards . . 2010-04-22 . 1981-04-07 . Albin . Krebs . 2019-04-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190425100642/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/07/nyregion/notes-on-people-kirklands-to-get-awards.html . live .
- Web site: Give Churchill Freedom Award . . 1958-05-30 . 2010-04-22 . 2 . 2016-03-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160307193554/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=71YmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h_8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6651,1916795&dq=freedom+award+churchill+1958&hl=en . live .
- Web site: IRC Freedom Award . . 2010-04-22 . 2010-10-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101025084448/http://www.theirc.org/irc-freedom-award . dead .
- Web site: Austria's Kreisky Will Get Freedom Award. The Daytona Beach News-Journal. 2010-04-22. 1975-04-10. 35. 2023-11-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20231124112042/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1873&dat=19750410&id=A0YfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ftEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=752,4006334. live.
- Web site: Press Release - SG/SM/7625 . . 2010-04-22 . 2000-11-15 . 2015-09-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150906092026/http://www.rescue.org/video/honoring-humanitarian-aid-worker . live .
- Web site: Walesa says West to blame if Poland fails. Times-News. 2010-04-22. 1989-11-17. 2. 2023-11-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20231124112042/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1665&dat=19891117&id=8xoaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YyQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6576,4265665. live.
- Web site: Social Events . . 2010-04-22 . 1991-11-03 . 2019-02-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190207072917/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/03/style/social-events.html?pagewanted=1 . live .
- Web site: High Commissioner and Angelina Jolie to receive IRC Freedom Award. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 2010-04-22. 2007-11-06. 2012-10-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20121012031544/http://www.unhcr.org/473055832.html. live.
- Web site: Benefits . . 2010-04-22 . 1994-11-20 . 2019-02-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190207073017/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/20/style/benefits-872687.html?pagewanted=1 . live .
- Web site: Madeleine Albright receives International Rescue Committee's Freedom Award . . 2010-04-22 . 1999-11-10 . 2010-08-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100802115254/https://www.theirc.org/news/madeleine-albright-receives-international-rescue-committees-freedom-award-3837 . dead .
- Web site: Remarks of Senator John McCain - The International Rescue Committee's 2001 Freedom Award Dinner. 2010-04-22. 2001-11-14. U.S. Senator John McCain - Arizona. 2016-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20160827101003/http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.Speeches&ContentRecord_id=958c32e7-3044-4620-bec4-a46d4a859a42&Region_id=&Issue_id=e2d83197-0adb-4a53-994a-9eb58268b452. dead.
- Web site: 2008 UPS Lecture on Nonprofit Leadership, Governance and Economic Stewardship . . 2010-04-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100630072347/http://aysps.gsu.edu/nsp/2355.html . 2010-06-30 .
- Web site: His Excellency President Hamed Karzai . The Embassy of Afghanistan - Tokyo . 2010-04-22 . 2018-10-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181004163739/http://www.afghanembassyjp.com/en/government/ . live .
- Web site: Samantha Power - IRC Freedom Award Dinner - November 10, 2004 . pdf . 2010-04-22 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100630233849/http://www.hks.harvard.edu/cchrp/pdf/IRCSpeech.pdf . June 30, 2010 .
- Web site: IRC Honors Former Presidents Bush and Clinton for Tsunami, Katrina Relief Efforts. International Rescue Committee. 2010-05-14. 2005-11-10. 2010-10-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20101027025004/http://www.theirc.org/news/irc-honors-former-presidents-bush-and-clinton-tsunami-katrina-relief-efforts-3690. dead.
- Web site: Biographical Brief of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf . Government of the Republic of Liberia - Executive Mansion . 2010-04-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100423155204/http://www.emansion.gov.lr/content.php?sub=President%27s%20Biography&related=The%20President . 2010-04-23 .
- Web site: UN refugee agency, Angelina Jolie receive Freedom Award . . 2010-04-22 . 2007-11-08 . 2008-06-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080617173021/http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24590&Cr=freedom&Cr1=award . live .
- News: Give 'til it hurts . . Harris, Bret . 2010-05-19 . 2008-12-09 . Stephen . Lunn.
- Web site: Kissinger, Bloomberg Honor IRC at Freedom Award Dinner . . 2012-11-08 . 2013-09-06 . Monika . Anderson . 2019-02-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190227215502/https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/11/08/international-rescue-committee-honors-john-c-whitehead/ . live .
- Web site: International Rescue Committee . Freedom Award: Honoring George Soros . Rescue.org . International Rescue Committee . 22 March 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150203001404/http://www.rescue.org/blog/freedom-award-honoring-george-soros . 2015-02-03.
- http://www.rescue.org/video/honoring-humanitarian-aid-worker Honoring the humanitarian aid worker
- Web site: International Rescue Committee honors Mayor Spyros Galinos of Lesbos and the Mack family at annual Rescue Dinner benefit. 26 December 2016. 27 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161227131445/https://www.rescue.org/press-release/international-rescue-committee-honors-mayor-spyros-galinos-lesbos-and-mack-family. live.
- Web site: Governor Scott Joins Venezuelan Expats In Doral; Says Maduro, 'Thugs' Have To Go. 2017-05-08. 2017-05-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20170509050548/http://wlrn.org/post/governor-scott-joins-venezuelan-expats-doral-says-maduro-thugs-have-go. live.
- Web site: Freedom Award: Leopoldo López fue homenajeado con el Freedom Award en Miami. 2017-05-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20170511005128/http://www.caraotadigital.net/nacionales/leopoldo-lopez-fue-homenajeado-con-el-freedom-award-en-miami/. 2017-05-11. dead.