Activist Awards |
| Citizen |
| International |
| Achievement |
| Board of Directors |
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Citizen Activist Award |
Statement of Purpose |
| "Few will have the greatness to bend history itself;
but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation." --Robert F. Kennedy |
| The Gleitsman Foundation Citizen Activist Award is designed to encourage individual commitment and leadership by recognizing the exceptional achievement of people who have initiated social change. The award recognizes activist efforts in the United States to confront, challenge and correct social injustice. These individuals, because of their courage and persistence, have become leaders in efforts to change the way we live, from Lois Gibbs' fight to clean up Love Canal to Candace Lightner's campaign against drunk driving. But this award is not only about recognizing those in the media spotlight. The Foundation actively seeks out those citizen-activist-leaders throughout the country who embody this ideal...whether they be someone from the inner city organizing to help the homeless or a citizen striving to end senseless killings in his community. To this end, nominators have been selected from the media, government and the non-profit sector to bring qualified individuals to the attention of our Board of Judges. Every other year (alternating with The International Activist Award) $100,000 is awarded to the Honorees who also receive a specially commissioned commemorative sculpture designed by Maya Lin, the creator of the Vietnam War Memorial. The Gleitsman Foundation was established in 1989 to honor those individuals whose determination and selfless efforts truly "make a difference" in improving the quality of life in their communities. It is our hope that knowing of the accomplishments of our winners, others will be inspired by their stories and will fight to correct some of the other problems facing us, thereby improving the quality of life for all of us. |