Civil Courag e News Journal of the Civil Courage Prize Vol. 7, No. 1 • January 2011 For Steadfast Resistance to Evil at Great Personal Risk Prize-Winner Canon Andrew White Speaks of Need to Work on Building Relationships Among Warring Religious Factions in Iraq he Reverend Canon Andrew Canon White lamented that too White, who has risked his life many Westerners ignore the central role Tfor peace in Iraq and through - of religion in the Middle East. out the Middle East, accepted the Civil Since 2003, Canon White has Courage Prize Medal for 2010 and worked continuously to build and $50,000 during an October 18th award maintain relationships among Iraq’s ceremony at the Harold Pratt House in warring Sunni, Shia, Kurd and Chris - New York City. tian leaders to restore Iraq’s civil society. Canon White, also known as the “Vicar He spoke about failing to convince the of Baghdad,” is Rector of St. George’s Coalition Provisional Authority that Church of Baghdad, an ecumenical even the restoration of water and elec - congregation that is Iraq’s sole-surviv - tricity would depend on sensitivity to ing Anglican Church. religious differences. After CPA staff In thanking the Foundation, and the complained about weeks without more than 130 guests present, White progress, White recalled wanting to say, said, “If we’re going to see any differ - “Told you!” as he was then brought into ence, we need two things: one, courage the process. and, two, commitment. And that is what White acknowledged that it was not this prize is all about.” easy to work in such continued on page 2 Meacham Calls for Honest and True Leaders in Time of Rising Conflict n his keynote address at the Civil Courage lack of civil discourse in American politics have IPrize award ceremony, Pulitzer-prize winning dire consequences for U.S. domestic and foreign author and journalist Jon Meacham decried the policy. dearth of true leaders in the U.S. He praised 2010 Meacham, who wrote the New York Times CCP winner Canon Andrew White as a model of best-seller, American Gospel: God, the Founding courage, honesty and civility in the pursuit of Fathers and the Making of a Nation , said, “All too world peace. often, religion is a force for division, not unity.” Reflecting on America's singular obligation to He said that White has helped make peace among act responsibly on the global stage, Meacham warring factions in the Middle East because he said, “We must encourage our leaders to be hon - “rises to the occasion...when confronted with est or the whole enterprise falls apart.” He stated challenges of history, and of necessity and moral that too many American leaders are just “class complication.” provocateurs who have a direct stake in perpetu - Of Canon White, Meacham commented, “It is ating conflict as opposed to resolving problems.” given to few people to be able to act on the scale Meacham warned that dishonest leaders and the that our honoree has been able continued on page 2 Letter from the Chairman White Builds Peace through Courage and Commitment continued from page 1 an area full of strife. He noted that “If you’re going to try and make The objective of the Civil peace, you have to take risks. To work for Courage Prize has always been peace, you have to be willing to work with twofold. The first is to broaden people who make war.” awareness of the concept of civil As such, he was often in great personal courage, which is a necessary danger and he was frequently called on to virtue in a good society. If every - negotiate with kidnappers. “I was regularly body says, “The devil take the at risk,” he said. “I was held at gunpoint... hindmost,” the devil soon makes During another occasion, posters were put his way to the head of the line. up all around Baghdad with my picture on them, saying ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive’.” Canon Andrew White and ex-hostage Ma'an Mansour Someone must make a resolute White said he has worked on more than one Minister’s office within the protected Green stand. hundred Iraqi hostage cases, including his Zone, and the Canon could often rely on The second objective is to sin - first, the successful rescue of a young boy, seeing the top American military represen - gle out individuals in any part of Ma’an. In an emotional moment, White tatives in church on Sunday even if he was the world who exemplify this and Ma'an, now a young man, met for the unable to contact them during the week. St. virtue, like Aleksandr Solzhenit - first time at the award ceremony reception. George’s Church of Baghdad now serves a syn, who inspired us. Such indi - Ma'an had been whisked out of Baghdad congregation of 4,000 people, most of them viduals hold up the torch of civil with his Iraqi mother as soon as he was re - Muslims, providing health care and food as courage. Their courage inspires leased and eventually settled in Washington, well as spiritual guidance as White contin - D.C., where he now lives. His attendance at others. It is not only the effect of ues to balance peace-making efforts with the the ceremony was a complete surprise for spiritual and daily needs of his congregants. their deeds that is inspiring, but the Canon. “Today our church is far more than a even more, the human qualities Peace-making and kidnap negotiations church. We have probably the biggest clinic that their deeds illustrate. were just some parts of the mission that as well, and most patients are not Christian. We are always moved by the Canon White recalled. He stated that, all We, as a minority, can show love to the oth - inspiration of one lonely hero the while, his ministry was equally impor - ers in helping them in their need.” defying an evil environment, tant. White spoke about holding chapel Canon White summed up his continu - whether he wins or loses, more services in one of Saddam Hussein’s former ing work: “So much of my time in Baghdad than by a well-intentioned battal - palaces, beginning in 2003. Chapel services today is just working on keeping relation - ion, since within the larger group were later moved to the Shiite Iraqi Prime ships going.” are many motivations. Furthermore, a group needs a Pulitzer-Prize Winner Lauds Faith-Based Middle East Peacemaker prospect of success, whereas at continued from page 1 to engage in and really dependent commentators. the moral level of our prizewin - change the course of history.” Meacham said In contrast, Meacham pointed to Winston ners we may well find a noble too many American leaders are dishonest Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, as indifference to success. They do about their own motives and are interested in historic examples of honest leaders able to what they must, because it has their own financial well-being. He described rally support for their policies, even in times their rejection of civil discourse as not for ide - of despair. Churchill credited such honesty to be done. ological reasons, but because they see the with helping him survive a no-confidence fight “essentially as a game.” vote in the winter of 1942, when the Allies A former Newsweek editor who now were losing on all fronts. Churchill later co-hosts the PBS public affairs program wrote “people can face any misfortune with John Train Need to Know , Meacham said journalists like fortitude...if they are convinced their leaders himself must help the public distinguish are not deceiving them or are not them - political activists from such politically selves dwelling in a fools' paradise.” Page 2 January 2011 Reception and Ceremony to award Civil Courage Prize to White 2 1 56 3 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 Nina Train Choa, Hon. John Train, 5 John and Jennifer Clay 10 Hon. John and Francie Train Canon Andrew White, Ariadne 6 Ed Epstein and James Hoge 11 Virginia Hurt and Ambassador Calvo-Platero, Jon Meacham 7 Hazel Haney, Canon Andrew Edward Streator 2 Dr. Trip Casscells, Canon White, Lielani Locet Haney 12 Canon Andrew White, Andrew White, Hon. Jerry Jones 8 David Rockefeller Room Brig. Gen. Patrick Rea, 3 Francie Train, Harry Gittes at the Harold Pratt House Ambassador Nicholas Platt and Lois Severini 9 Hon. John Train, Edward 13 May Al Najjar, Gen. Georges 4 Musa Klebnikov and Tommy and Betsy Cohen Sada, Connie Wilson 13 Bruce January 2011 Page 3 The Train Foundation Past Honorees Trustees and Officers The Hon. John Train 2010 Canon Andrew White 2003 Shahnaz Bukhari Trustee, Chairman Middle East Peacemaker Battler against the burning and Ambassador Edward Streator other abuse of Pakistani women 2009 Aminatou Haidar Trustee, President Champion of the non-violent campaign for Ariadne Calvo-Platero 2002 Vladimiro Roca Antunez Trustee, Vice-President self-determination in Western Sahara Champion of freedom, Cuba Musa T. Klebnikov 2008 Ali Salem Gustavo Arcos Bergnes Trustee Egyptian author and journalist. Voice (Honorable Mention) Ambassador John Menzies for peace and reason in the Middle East Early democracy activist, Cuba Trustee 2007 Enid C. B. Schoettle Phillip Buck 2001 Paul Kamara Trustee Imprisoned in China for guiding North Editor and journalist fighting Ann Brownell Sloane Korean refugees in their escape to freedom tyranny in Sierra Leone Trustee 2006 Rafael Marques de Morais Sumner Gerard III 2000 Natasa Kandic Journalist who exposed the slaughter Treasurer Persecuted journalist and activist, of Angolans and the plundering Thomas Hiner, Esq. Belgrade Counsel of national assets Renée Lucier Sergei Khodorovich 2005 Min Ko Naing Secretary (Honorable Mention) Imprisoned campaigner Nina Train Choa Solzhenitsyn collaborator exiled Advisor for democracy in Burma to hard labor in Siberia Ambassador Nicholas Platt Anna Politkovskaya Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer† Advisor Fearless reporter on atrocities Anti-Nazi martyr Civil Courage Prize Advisors in Chechnya, assassinated Judge Giovanni Falcone† Ambassador Glenn R.W.