Viasna shortlisted for Human Rights Tulip award
Credit: government.nl
Viasna is among the twelve human rights organizations and activists shortlisted for the Human Rights Tulip 2021 award, the Government of the Netherlands, the sponsor of the prize, said.
Viasna is commended for its role in “helping the arrested rally participants and their families” and “contributing to the development of civic society in Belarus.”
Other shortlisted candidates include Oleksandra Matviychuk of the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, Marie Davtyan of the Russian Consortium of Women’s NGO’s, Reporters Without Borders and several human rights groups and activists from Egypt, Uganda, South Sudan, Cameroon, Nicaragua, Philippines and Venezuela.
An independent jury composed of five members will select three candidates from the shortlist. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs will then choose a winner from the three remaining candidates.
The Human Rights Tulip is an annual award of the Dutch government to support human rights defenders in their work advancing and protecting human rights around the world, while highlighting related issues. Each year since 2008 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded the Human Rights Tulip to an outstanding human rights defender.
The winner receives €100,000 in prize money and a bronze sculpture in the shape of a tulip. The Dutch government hopes that the prize will enable the winner to:
- gain international visibility and recognition;
- further develop and expand the scale of their human rights work, allowing them to reach more people in as many places as possible;
- inspire others.
