2005 press releases

U.S. Embassy Presents Second Annual Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award
To Sri Kumar Vishwanathan for his Work with Roma Communities

Prague, December 6, 2005 

On the occasion of the 57th anniversary of International Human Rights Day the U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic William J. Cabaniss will present the Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award to activist Sri Kumar Vishwanathan, the creator of the Common Life program, on Thursday, December 8 at 2 p.m. at the Ambassador’s Residence (Zikmunda Wintra 3, Prague 6).

Last year, 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 and an open civil society.  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.  

This year, the recipient of this award is Mr. Sri Kumar Vishwanathan for his leadership and initiative that led to the creation of the Common Life Village in Ostrava - Muglinov where families of both Roma and non-Roma ethnicity live together as a single, coexistence community.  For his work with Roma communities, Mr. Vishwanathan has won national awards and international acclaim.  As part of this award, Mr. Vishwanathan will travel to the U.S. in spring 2006 under the auspices of the International Visitor Leadership Program of the Department of State.