The May 18th Memorial Foundation has announced its call for nominations for their 2017 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights 2017. Please spread widely!
Dear Respected Human Right Colleagues and Activists,
Greetings from the May 18 Memorial Foundation,
We hope you are doing well. It is immense pleasure to inform you that, The May 18 Memorial Foundation cordially inviting the nominations for the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights 2017 and Gwangju Prize for Human Rights (Special Award) 2017.
Every year since 2000, the May 18 Memorial Foundation (Gwangju, Republic of Korea) has announced it’s annual “Call for nominations for the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights”. This Prize promotes the Spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in which the people of Gwangju resisted brutal military forces for the sake of democracy and human rights in 1980. Historically the May 18 Democratization Movement brought democracy to Korea.
The May 18 Memorial Foundation was founded in 1994 with the aim of spreading and commemorating the democratic spirit shown by the people of Gwangju and of restoring the meaning of the May 18 Democratization Movement through fact finding. Even though Gwangju was isolated by the military junta at the time many overseas countries supported the City and wanted to see the restoration of justice and human rights. Therefore, through this prize, the May 18 Memorial Foundation would like to share and empathize with people in similar situations as the people of Gwangju faced in 1980.
The prize goes to one individual or an organization that has struggled for or contributed to the improvement and advancement of human rights, democracy, and peace in their community and country.
Nominations will be collected from December 19, 2016, to February 28, 2017. Preliminary and final reviews of nominees will take place March to April. The winner of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights will be announced on the first week of April. The official prize awarding ceremony will be held at the May 18 Memorial Culture Center, Gwangju, Republic of Korea on May 18, 2017.
Warm Regards,
Solidarity Team
The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights 2017
Every year since 2000, the May 18 Memorial Foundation (Gwangju, Republic of Korea) has announced its annual “Call for nominations for the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights”. This Prize promotes the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in which the people of Gwangju resisted the brutal military forces for the sake of Democracy and Human Rights in 1980. Historically, the May 18 Democratization Movement brought democracy to Korea.
The May 18 Memorial Foundation was founded in 1994 with the aim of spreading and commemorating the democratic spirit shown by the people of Gwangju and of restoring the meaning of the May 18 Democratization Movement through fact finding. Even though Gwangju was isolated by the military junta at the time many overseas countries supported the City and wanted to see the restoration of justice and human rights. Therefore, through this prize the May 18 Memorial Foundation would like to share and empathize with people in similar situations as the people of Gwangju faced in 1980.
The prize goes to one individual or an organization that has struggled for or contributed to the improvement and advancement of human rights, democracy, and peace in their community and country.
Nominations will be collected from December 19, 2016 to February 28, 2017. Preliminary and final reviews of nominees will take place March to April. The winner of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights will be announced on the first week of April. The official prize ceremony will be held at the May 18 Memorial Culture Center, Gwangju, on May 18, 2017.
The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Award
In 2011, the May 18 Memorial Foundation newly established Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Award. Since the time that the Foundation began awarding the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, we have received many requests to establish a special prize for those who work for the improvement of human rights by the means of journalism, culture, literature, and many other fields. The special prize is provided every 2 years. The prizewinner will also receive prize money (10,000 USD) and a certificate at the same Awards ceremony. Nominators can use the same nomination form as that of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. Please select one of the options (Gwangju Prize for Human Rights/Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Award) on the application form. However; this year, there will be no prize for Human Rights Special Award. The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Award will be open in 2019.
Eligibility for the Prize
1) A person or group eligible for the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights nominated by another individual or organization. An individual cannot nominate him/herself and cannot be nominated by his/her own organization.
2) A person or group that has been struggling for justice and democracy for their community and country.
3) A person or group that has contributed towards democracy and human rights movements through their work in their organization.
Policy of the Prize Committee
1) Co-winners may only be selected by the Prize Committee, not by nominators; a nominator can only submit 1 nominee.
2) Nominators cannot interfere with or participate in the Prize Committee’s selection process.
3) The PrizeCommittee may only disclose the number of nominees, not the names of them.
Nomination Deadline
From December 19, 2016 until February 28, 2017.
The Prize
The prize winner will receive the prize money, 50,000 USD, medal, and certificate.
The prize winner of the special award will receive prize money, 10,000 USD, medal and certificate.
The Prize will be awarded at the Prize Ceremony to be held at the May 18 Memorial Culture Center on May 18, 2016 and the winner should attend the Ceremony.
How to nominate the Prize Nominee
Please download the official nomination form, fill it out completely, and send it to the May 18Memorial Foundation with supporting documents by email or post.
Email address:gwangjuprize@gmail.com
Postal address: 520-260Naebangro 152 5.18 Memorial Culture Center Seo-gu Gwangju, Republic of Korea
ContactInformation
Commemoration Project Department
The May 18 Memorial Foundation
152 Naebangro 5.18 Memorial Culture Center Seo-gu Gwangju, 61965, Republic of Korea
Phone: +82 62 360 0520
Fax: +82 62 360 0519
Please visit our website for the latest announcements at http://eng.518.org
Laureates of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
2000 Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao (NationalCouncil of Timorese Resistance, East Timor)
2001 W.P.J. Basil Fernando (Asian HumanRights Commission, Sri Lanka)
2002 Korea Association of BereavedFamilies for Democracy (KABFD)
2003 Dandeniya Jayanthi (Monument forthe Disappeared, Sri Lanka)
2004Aung San Suu Kyi (National League for Democracy, Burma)
2005 Wardah Hafiz (Urban PoorConsortium, Indonesia)
2006 Malalai Joya (Co-laureate, NationalAssembly, Afghanistan)
AngkhanaNeelapaijit (Co-laureate, Human Rights Activist, Thailand)
2007 Lenin Raghuvanshi (Co-laureate,People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights, India)
IromSharmila Chanu (Co-laureate, Human Rights Activist, Manipur, India)
2008 Munir Malik (Human Rights Lawyer,Pakistan)
2009 Min Ko Naing (Democracy MovementActivist, Burma)
2010 Sushil Pyakurel (AccountabilityWatch Committee, Nepal)
2011 Binayak Sen (Human Rights Activist,India)
2012 Mun Jeong Hyun (Catholic Priest, Republicof Korea)
2013 Hijos e Hijas por la Identidad y laJusticia contra el Olvido y el Silencio (H.I.J.O.S., Argentina)
2014 Mothers of Khavaran (Co-laureate, Organization,Iran)
Adilur Rahman Khan (Co-laureate, Human RightsActivist, Bangladesh)
2015 Latifah Anum Siregar (Alliance forDemocracy in Papua, Indonesia)
2016 Nguyen Dan Que (Co-laureate, HumanRights Activist, Medical Doctor, Vietnam), BERSIH 2.0 (Co-laureate, NGO, Malaysia)
Laureate of the Gwangju Prize forHuman Rights Special Award
2011 Parents Circle Families Forum -Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace (Israel and Palestine)
2013 Tempo Weekly Magazine (Indonesia)
2015 Sombath Somphone (Laos)
FAQ for the Gwangju Prize for HumanRights
1.What is the eligibility for nominator?
An individual or an organization that was awarded Yun Sang-won Award* and May 18Citizen’s Award*;
An individual or an organization that was awarded the Gwangju Prize for HumanRights or the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Award;
Domestic/international civil society organizations that were requested to nominate the Prize candidate by the May 18 Memorial Foundation;
An individual or an organization that agrees to the purpose of the Prize*
* YunSang-won Award:
The YunSan-won Award, named after one of the leaders of the May 18 DemocratizationMovement, Yun Sang-won, who sacrificed himself on 27 May 1980 in the GwangjuProvincial Office, the last battlefield, was established by those who engaged in Yun’s commemoration event and by the bereaved family of Yun to award one individual or one organization who struggled for the resolution of the May 18Democratization Movement from 1991 to 1998.
* May18 Citizen’s Award:
The May18 Citizen’s Award was established in 1991 by Association of the Families of the May 18 Related Persons of Merit with the aim of nationalization of the May18 Spirit. The Prize went to one individual or one organization that was not directly linked to the Democratization Movement but that worked for revealing the truth of the Movement until 1998.
*Purpose of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights:
ThePrize goes to one individual or an organization that has struggled for or contributed to the improvement and advancement of human rights, democracy, andpeace in their community and country. The Prize aims to promote the Spirit ofthe May 18 Democratization Movement in which the people of Gwangju resisted thebrutal military forces for the sake of democracy and human rights in 1980.
1.Who is the referee?
Thereferee is someone who can endorse the Prize nomination submitted by anominator. A nominator must designate one referee who knows well about thenominee and understands his/her/its main achievements.
Whenthe May 18 Memorial Foundation needs further information or have any inquiryabout the nominee it can contact both the nominator and the nominee.
2.The nominee is not from Asia. Ishe/she/it still eligible for the Prize?
The Prize goes to oneindividual or an organization that has struggled for or contributed to theimprovement and advancement of human rights, democracy and peace in theircommunity and country, regardless of his/her/its nationality.
3.Can I nominate the chairperson of theorganization I work at presently?
An individualcannot be nominated by his/her own organization.
4.What is the difference between theGwangju Prize for Human Rights and the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights SpecialAward?
Both the GwangjuPrize for Human Rights and the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Awardgoes to one individual or an organization that hasstruggled for or contributed to the improvement and advancement of humanrights, democracy, and peace in their community and country. In particular, theGwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Award is aimed at awarding oneindividual or an organization that has worked in the field of culture, art,journalism, and research.
5.Is it possible to nominate 1 nominee forboth the GPHR and the GPHR Special Award?
A nominator canonly choose 1 Prize and submit 1 nominee.
6.I have integral information on thenominee. However, I do not fully understand what kind of reference I shouldsubmit for nomination. Is it the reference of the nominator’s organization orthe reference of the nominee?
If the nomineeis an individual the reference must focus on his/her major achievements andimportant activities rather than his/her organizational activities. If an individual’swork is deeply interlinked with his/her organization, nomination must describehis/her contribution to the organizational work in detail.
7.I have integral information regarding the nominee. However, some supporting documents are not written in English. CanI submit those items?
The nominationform and supporting documents must be submitted in either Korean or English. Itis highly appreciated if a nominator can provide supporting documentstranslated into English or Korean.
8.When is the public announcement of thePrize winner?
The Prizecommittee chooses a winner approximately 60 days from the nomination deadline.The public announcement and press conference is usually held in April.
9.Should all documents be sent by bothe-mail and post?
All documentsshould be sent either by email or post. If you send hard copies to theFoundation by post, please be sure you have included all requirements in oneCD.
Download:
2017_GPHR_Information Sheet_Information (1) (PDF)
GPHR_2017_Nomination_Form (Word)