Crisis Group to Honour Seven Champions for Peace and Justice

19 October 2015
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International Crisis Group
press release

New York — The International Crisis Group will pay tribute to seven outstanding campaigners for peace and justice at its annual award dinner in New York on 26 October. This year's gala, In Pursuit of Peace, marks the 20th anniversary of Crisis Group's mission to prevent and resolve deadly conflict worldwide.

The 2015 award winners are:

• Béji Caïd Essebsi & Rached Ghannouchi
Tunisia's President Essebsi and Nahda party leader Ghannouchi will jointly receive the Founder's Award in recognition of their efforts, together with the National Dialogue Quartet, in reaching consensus on a peaceful and inclusive transition. They showed the leadership to seize the opportunity created by the Quartet, whose achievements were honoured with this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

• Sir Richard Branson
Branson, founder of the Virgin Group and co-founder of The Elders, will receive the Chairman's Award for his groundbreaking advocacy for peace. Both as an entrepreneur and as a philanthropist, he has pioneered visionary initiatives in support of conflict resolution, human rights and sustainable development.

• Emma Bonino
An active member of Italy's Transnational Radical Party and former minister for foreign affairs, Bonino will receive the Fred Cuny Award for extraordinary service as a diplomat, humanitarian, and women's rights champion. Throughout her career, she has been a strong advocate for humanitarian and political action in crises—from the Great Lakes region to the Balkans to Syria.

• Gareth Evans
Evans, Australia's former minister for foreign affairs and past president of Crisis Group, will receive the Founder's Award for his passionate commitment to preventing mass atrocities. He has dedicated his career to advancing global peace and security, and played a central role in developing the framework establishing the "responsibility to protect" civilians in conflict situations.

• Babatunde Fashola
Fashola, former governor of Lagos state, will receive the Stephen J. Solarz award for his commitment to building a just and vibrant society. He worked to improve conditions in Africa's largest metropolis—strengthening public safety and halting the spread of Ebola. In October, Fashola was nominated to serve as a cabinet minister in the new government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

• Sadako Ogata
Ogata will receive the President's Award for her exemplary leadership as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1991 to 2000, when she transformed the agency to respond more effectively to the needs of displaced persons. Throughout her remarkable career, Ogata has been a powerful voice highlighting the plight of civilians affected by war.

For more information about the award dinner, please contact +1 212 813 0820 or awarddinner@crisisgroup.org.

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