Press release Four Freedoms Awards 2018 ALL 2018 FOUR FREEDOMS AWARDS LAUREATES KNOWN On Tuesday, February 6th 2018, the long and so hard, I say: this is your success! ROOSEVELT FOUNDATION chairman of the Roosevelt Foundation and Individually for each of you, but more King’s Commissioner in the Province of powerfully, collectively for all of us. (…) We have Zeeland, Mr. Han Polman, announced the come together to address the most daunting names of the 2018 Four Freedoms Awards of challenges. We have done so by respecting Laureates. our differences and setting aside our enmity, by focusing on the present we share and the • The International Four Freedoms Award future we must build together…” The Roosevelt goes to Costa Rican diplomat Christiana Foundation endorses this statement and that Figueres Olsen who represents the many is why the International Four Freedoms Award people whose hard work and dedication 2018 is for all those dedicated men and women. contributed to the realization of the Paris Climate Agreement; Christiana Figueres Olsen will personally • The award for the Freedom of Speech and receive the award on 16 May as the former Expression goes to Turkish journalist Erol Executive Secretary of the United Nations Önderoglu; Framework Convention on Climate Change • The award for the Freedom of Worship goes (UNFCCC). It is also thanks to her negotiation to South Sudanese Bishop Paride Taban skills, her ability to engage and to build a • The award for the Freedom from Want goes consensus that the Climate Agreement has to Belgian conservationist Emmanuel de been concluded. Merode on behalf of the Virunga Alliance in the Democratic Republic of Congo; • The award for the Freedom from Fear goes Freedom of Speech and Expression: to Nepalese human rights activist Urmila Erol Önderoǧlu Chaudhary. The award for Mr. Önderoǧlu is motivated by The Four Freedoms Awards ceremony will take his tireless and persistent dedication to defend place on 16 May 2018 in Middelburg. the freedom of speech and expression. As correspondent for Reporters Without Borders in Turkey and as editor of independent press International Four Freedoms Award: agency Bianet he has for over 20 years actively Paris Climate Agreement – Christiana Figueres followed the court cases of fellow journalists, to support them and report objectively on The International Four Freedoms Award violations of freedom of the press. In more goes to Christiana Figueres Olsen as a than 4,600 articles and columns to date, he has representative of all those whose hard work monitored and reported on these violations and dedication for many years contributed to even when he was faced with repression and the realization of the imprisonment. In life and work he is devoted to 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. The rebuilding raising awareness of the necessity of freedom of the global climate change negotiation of speech and expression, for men and women, process based on fairness, transparency from all kinds of backgrounds, in Turkey and and collaboration leading to the Climate abroad. Agreement is widely recognized as a historical achievement. The signature of this Climate Freedom of Worship: Agreement confi rms that the great majority Bishop Paride Taban of countries wants to work to reduce the temperature rise and the disastrous The award for the Freedom of Worship goes to consequences of climate change. A major and Bishop Paride Taban for his life-long and selfl ess important challenge in relation to the future of dedication to the cause of bringing freedom and next generations in particular and our planet in peace to the people of South Sudan. Since the general. 1960’s he has worked as a peacemaker, drawing on seemingly bottomless reserves of patience, Christiana Figueres Olsen wrote in December optimism and strategic insight. His great wisdom 2015 in an open letter of gratitude: “… to and deep respect for different religions and all those, who labored now and before, so cultures has enabled him to forge emotional Press release Four Freedoms Awards 2018 bonds between otherwise battling groups. The injuries she has suffered in her quest. She Kuron Peace Village is the visible embodiment of has helped to establish the Freed Kamlari his achievement. Bishop Paride Taban continues Development Forum (FKDF), a Nepalese to call for an end to the human suffering and non-profi t organization that meets Kamlaris’ for a peaceful solution of the confl ict in South needs by locating and rescuing the remaining ROOSEVELT FOUNDATION Sudan in local, national and international forums. Kamlaris, employing peer counsellors to give Through his life’s work he is keeping the fl ame of emotional support to former Kamlaris, and hope for peace alive, not only by preaching the raising awareness in surrounding communities word of God but by living it. of issues such as child labor and the importance of education for girls. By tirelessly speaking out in public for the rights of former Kamlaris and Freedom from Want: for girls’ rights in Nepal, she has become a role Emmanuel de Merode – Virunga Alliance model and an inspiration for many others. The award for Freedom from Want goes The Four Freedoms Medals are presented to Belgian conservationist Emmanuel de each year to men, women and organizations Merode on behalf of the Virunga Alliance whose achievements have demonstrated a for their tireless and dedicated efforts to commitment to the principles which President protect the exceptional fl ora and fauna of Roosevelt proclaimed in his historic speech to the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Congress on 6 January 1941. In this speech he Republic of Congo as well as to protect the said that if democracy is to survive and fl ourish, local communities that live near Virunga’s people everywhere in the world are entitled boundary. A dangerous job because of the to four human rights: freedom of speech and intensity of the confl ict in and around the park, expression, freedom of worship, freedom due to the 10 year civil war and M23 rebellion. from want and freedom from fear. Important Since 2008 Emmanuel de Merode has led a words that have not lost any of their value and team of 360 Congolese rangers in an effort meaning even after 77 years. to de-militarize the national park, re-establish the rule of law, initiate local development and Earlier Freedoms Medals were awarded to bring a signifi cant funding through social media, some of the most distinguished world citizens local enterprise and tourism development. In of our time, including Harry S. Truman, 2013 Emmanuel de Merode assisted in the H.R.H. Princess Juliana of The Netherlands, launching of the Virunga Alliance, that aims John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, to foster peace and prosperity through the J. William Fulbright, Arthur Miller, responsible economic development of natural Jimmy Carter, former United Nations Secretary resources for the four million people who General Kofi Annan, Malala Yousafzai, live near the park’s borders. A percentage of ustice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the park’s revenues is invested in community dr. Angela Merkel. development projects. The work of the Alliance also includes the promotion of sustainable The Roosevelt Foundation in Middelburg and energy for poor households and support for the the Roosevelt Institute in New York work to building of schools. Despite a life-threatening inspire people to promote these four freedoms, attack, Emmanuel de Merode continues his everywhere in the world. The Four Freedoms commendable work in and around Virunga Awards ceremonies take place in the odd National Park together with the team of the years in New York and in the even years in Virunga Alliance. Middelburg. More information about the Four Freedoms Freedom from Fear: Awards and the Roosevelt Foundation and the Urmila Chaudhary Roosevelt Institute is available at the websites: The award for Ms. Urmila Chaudhary is http://www.fourfreedoms.nl/ motivated by her courage and determination http://rooseveltinstitute.org/ to put an end to the Kamlari system of child slavery and her fi ght for the rights of girls, especially their right to education. After being exploited as a child household slave herself Read the Nomination of Bishop Paride Taban for for more than 11 years, she has become an Roosevelt Academy infl uential young woman and human rights activist for and in her community despite the risks for her personal safety and the .