2007 ROBERT F. KENNEDY HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial is now accepting nominations for the 2007 RFK Human Rights Award. The nomination deadline for the 2007 Human Rights Award is April 15, 2007. Below you will find a nomination form followed by a copy of the principles governing the nomination and selection process. If you have any questions regarding the process please direct correspondence to nominations@rfkmemorial.org. DESCRIPTION OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD The purpose of the annual Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award is to honor those who, at great risk, stand up to oppression in their efforts to support human rights. The Award is intended to honor only individuals who are engaged in nonviolent activity. The Award, which includes a significant cash prize, seeks to draw the world's attention to the work of brave individuals who make great personal sacrifices, often risking their lives, to promote respect for the human rights of all people. In every region of the world, there are men, women and children whose rights are consistently and deliberately denied. In the face of ostracism by their communities, the censure of their colleagues, government retaliation, threats, harassment, persecution, isolation, torture and death, there are people who are moved to act on behalf of justice, to alert the world to human rights violations, and to work to advance the cause of human rights within their countries. The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award seeks to identify and honor these people who embody Robert Kennedy's belief in the power of individual efforts to overcome injustice. The mission of the RFK Center for Human Rights is to support the human rights work of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award laureates. The Center develops and carries out projects that enhance and complement the work of the laureates and that promote respect for human rights in their countries. The Center responds quickly to urgent situations and initiates long-term projects to address chronic human rights issues. The Center gives the laureates and their fellow human rights defenders valuable strategic and technical support designed to increase the impact of their work. Nomination form: http://www.rfkmemorial.org/legacyinaction/Nominate_Advocate/ Email: nominations@rfkmemorial.org US Mail: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Attention: Award Nomination 1367 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite #200 Washington, D.C. 20036 USA Fax: 1-202-463-6606 For questions please contact Colleen Buhrer at nominations@rfkmemorial.org. NOMINATION & SELECTION PROCESS PRINCIPLES Eligibility Persons working to promote and protect human rights of any race, creed, religion, nationality, gender or sexual orientation are eligible for the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. Those working within their own country's social change process and who have worked strategically and effectively to address serious human rights problems are given the highest priority. Qualifications 1) The laureate does not need to be widely known. Ordinary individuals are often made extraordinary by circumstances and principles. Working locally or in obscurity often requires particularly great courage. Although the RFK Center greatly respects and admires long-serving and prominent human rights activities, this is not a lifetime achievement award. 2) The laureate should have an established reputation for integrity, creativity and commitment to principles of human rights. 3) The activists should be associated with or perhaps lead a non-governmental organization which is a major contributor to a social movement working to achieve a specific social change. Persons working for a government or semi-government institution are not eligible. Cash Prize Each year, a total cash prize of U.S. $ 30,000 will be given to the individual selected to receive the Award. While it is preferable that one individual is given the award, if more than one recipient is selected in a year, the cash prize will be divided equally among the recipients. Award Ceremony The Award ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C., on a date in November as close as possible to November 20, the birthday of Robert F. Kennedy. When recipients are unable to travel to the United States to receive the Award, the ceremony will take place and an appropriate representative will accept the Award on behalf of the recipient. In such cases, the Center for Human Rights will make a recommendation to the Board of the Memorial as to whether a delegation should be constituted to attempt to present the Award to the recipients in their home countries during the year following the Award ceremony. Procedures for Nomination 1) Anyone can nominate for the RFK Human Rights Award. The Center for Human Rights will seek nominations from the Global Advocacy Team and from a wide spectrum of individuals likely to know of appropriate candidates. While the judges may not nominate candidates for the Award, they may, before their first meeting, renominate candidates who were nominated but not selected in the previous year. 2) There is no limit to the number of nominations an individual can make, but no self-nominations will be accepted. 3) The Center for Human Rights will request and collect nominations and assemble supporting materials for presentation to the judges. Those nominations clearly not falling within the established criteria will not be presented to the judges. Selection Process 1) The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award judges shall select recipients of the Award. 2) There will be five judges whose sole responsibility is to select the laureates. Judges will serve five-year terms that may be renewed one time at the discretion of the Board of the Memorial. 3) The emphasis of the Award is on the power of individual moral courage to stop injustice and to advance the cause of human rights. While the judges may select, when appropriate, a group or more than one individual to receive the Award, the Board of the Memorial strongly reaffirms its judgment that the selection of an individual best reflects and advances the values for which the Award was established. Nominees other than those selected as recipients will remain confidential; there will be no public identification of finalists or of an honor roll of selected nominees. 4) There are no limitations on factors the judges may consider. The Board of the Memorial recognizes the prestige of the Award, the value to the laureates' work of the cash prize, and the importance to the laureates of the Center's commitment to devote time and resources to work that supports or complements their efforts. The Board encourages the judges to consider the potential impact of the Award in enhancing and advancing the nominees' work. The judges should consider the Center's capacity to implement a meaningful collaborative program with the nominee, the potential of the Center's work to advance the laureates' causes, and the impact that selection of a particular nominee may have on the resources and work of the Center. Nomination form: http://www.rfkmemorial.org/legacyinaction/Nominate_Advocate/ **** The nomination deadline for the 2007 Human Rights Award is April 15, 2007**** For more information please contact Colleen Buhrer at nominations@rfkmemorial.org. ======== Psychology and Human Rights listserv ======= Send mail intended for the list to < >. Archives of the list can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/psychology-humanrights-l/markup/maillist.php -- This listserv is the International Peace Practitioners Network Internet discussion group on Psychology and Human Rights, a joint initiative of HREA, Psychologists for Social Responsibility and the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict and Violence: Peace Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association.
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