SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards 2011 Winners

SOLIDAR is delighted to announce the winners of the Silver Rose Awards 2011:

Lifetime Achievement Category: Robert Badinter, France – proposed by S & D group A high-profile French lawyer and former French Minister for Justice renowned for his ongoing commitment to human rights; and in particular his role in the abolishment of the death penalty in France in 1981.

European Category: Latvian Trade Union of Health and Social Care Employees (LVSADA) – proposed by PES The biggest health and social care trade union in Latvia fighting against cuts in the Latvian health care system resulting from the austerity policies put in place by the government.

International Category: Labour Education Foundation, Pakistan – proposed by Olof Palme International Center A non-governmental organisation working to empower the working class to protect its social, economic and political rights; sensitising workers, women and youth groups about the need for literacy; and enabling them to advocate for their rights.

Now in their 11th year, the SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards honor individuals and organisations whose extraordinary struggles contribute to social justice and solidarity in Europe and throughout the world.

This year’s awards ceremony, hosted by Véronique de Keyser MEP, will take place in the European Parliament in Brussels on 1 March, bringing together representatives of the European institutions, our partners and allies, as well as other stakeholders to celebrate the outstanding work of the winners.

For more information please contact Abigail Goundry +32 2 500 10 34 / +32 472 607 449 [email protected]

About SOLIDAR SOLIDAR is a European network of 52 NGOs active in over 90 countries working to advance social justice in Europe and worldwide. SOLIDAR voices the concerns of its member organisations to the EU and international institutions across the policy sectors social affairs, international cooperation and lifelong learning. For more info www.solidar.org

Further information on the Silver Rose 2011 Awardees

Robert Badinter, France

Robert Badinter's struggle against the death penalty began after the execution of Roger Bontems, a man that Mr Badinter – a criminal lawyer - was representing in 1972; even though he had been cleared before the execution. When, in 1981, he was nominated as Minister of Justice under François Mitterrand, one of his first actions was to abolish the death penalty for all crimes and establish several measures aimed at reinforcing the rights of individuals and victims. He remained Minister until 1986. From 1986 – 1995 he was President of the French Constitutional Council and President of the Arbitration Commission for the former Yugoslavia (1992 – 1995). He also was a member of the Convention European Constitution (2002 – 2003) and a member of the Executive Committee created by former Secretary General Kofi Annan to reform the UN (2003 – 2004). Since 1995, he has been a Senator for the Hauts-de-Seine department in France and President of the Court of Reconciliation and Arbitration of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe). He was nominated by Véronique de Keyser, Member of the European Parliament.

For more information (in French): http://www.badinter.com/ In English: http://www.un.org/News/dh/hlpanel/badinter-bio.htm

Latvian Trade Union of Health and Social Care Employees (LVSADA)

Nominated by the Party of European Socialists (PES), the Latvian Trade Union of Health and Social Care Employees was founded in 1990 and is made up of over 12,500 doctors, health care practitioners, social care workers, pharmacists, junior medical staff, teachers, students and other health care facility workers. The Union fights for higher wages, shorter working hours and safe working conditions for social and health care employees in Latvia. In a climate of budget cuts implemented by the Latvian government, LVSADA’s latest achievement is collecting 12,000 signatures from Latvian residents calling for accessible and high quality health care in the country.

Read more about LVSADA (in Latvian): http://www.lvsada.lv/?sub=107 Read article (in English) about LVSADA signature action: http://www.baltic- course.com/eng/markets_and_companies/?doc=30242

Labour Education Foundation, Pakistan

Nominated by SOLIDAR member, the Olof Palme International Center in Sweden, Labour Education Foundation (LEF), a non-governmental organisation, was established in 1993 as an initiative of several trade union activists in Pakistan. It provides intellectual input to trade unions and various civil society organisations advocating for the rights of the workers. LEF provides education, trainings and development opportunities to the disadvantaged segments of society. Activities have included running three union schools for working children with nine teachers educating over 3,000 students and running adult literacy programmes with for over 400 learners.

For more information: http://www.lef.org.pk/