press releases 2008

Igor Blazevic from Peeple in Need Wins Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award

December 11, 2008

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of International Human Rights Day, U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Richard W. Graber presented yesterday the annual Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award to Igor Blazevic from the NGO Peeple in Need.

Igor Blaževič, the director of Human Rights and Democracy Department of NGO People in Need and of the One World Film Festival, was awarded in recognition of his long-standing commitment to and exceptional achievements in promoting human rights in the Czech Republic and abroad.  Ambassador Graber said: „I dare to say that there are not many people in the Czech Republic who have done more for the human rights cause than Igor.  He heads a department at the NGO People in Need, which coordinates projects in many very difficult places all over the world.  He is also the driving force behind the One World film festival, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and has grown into one of the world’s most important human rights film festivals, with screenings in other major cities as well as at thousands of Czech schools.“

In 2004, the U.S. Embassy in Prague established the Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award to recognize persons in the Czech Republic who have made an exceptional contribution to the advancement of human rights in the country through courageous promotion of social justice and defense of democratic liberties.  The award is presented annually and is named in honor of Alice Garrigue Masaryk, the pre-eminent Czech-American and founder of the Czechoslovak Red Cross, as a tribute to her devotion in combating social injustice and her personal courage in standing up for human rights.

Previously were awarded jurist Jiri Kopal, community activist Sri Kumar Vishwanathan, Lucie Sladkova from International Organization for Migration, and Respekt weekly magazine.

Press Section of the U.S. Embassy in Prague