Board of Judges

Activist Awards

Honorees Board of Judges Board of Advisors 2007 Nomination Form Press Release

International Activist Award

Board of Judges

FANG LIZHI, Fang Lizhi was the leading proponent for reform and human rights in China in the 1980's. Blacklisted as a dissident |spirit of democracy|, he called for amnesty for political prisoners in 1989 and was blamed for inspiring the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. Charged with treason, he took asylum in the US Embassy in Beijing and was able to emigrate to the United States in 1990. A distinguished astrophysicist, he has published more than one hundred and eighty scientific articles and is the author, coauthor and/or editor of twenty-three books. He is currently a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

MAIREAD CORRIGAN MAGUIRE, Mairead Corrigan Maguire has dedicated her life to promoting peaceful resolution of the conflict in Northern Ireland. When violence caused the death of three children in her family, she determined to fight to end the senseless violence and co-founded the Community for Peace People. After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976, she has continued to work tirelessly with grassroots community groups throughout her country, as well as with political and church leaders at home and abroad, seeking to promote dialogue between the two deeply divided communities. A powerful speaker, she has traveled throughout the world to share her message of peace and nonviolence.

SHIMON PERES, Born in Poland, Shimon Peres emigrated to Israel in 1934 where he has had a long and distinguished career. In 1947, he joined the Haganah, the underground defense force, and the next year was inducted into the fledgling Israel Defense Force, where he worked closely with David BenGurion. Included in the key positions he has held over many years are Defense Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Labor Party and twice Prime Minister of Israel. For his vision and leadership in initiating and promoting the peace process in the Middle East, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. He is the author of seven books and hundreds of articles and essays.

JAVIER PEREZ de CUELLAR, Javier Perez de Cuellar has had a highly respected career in the realm of international diplomacy since first representing his native Peru in the United Nations Assembly in 1946. The Peruvian diplomat went on to become Secretary General of the United Nations in 1982, quickly earning praise for his quiet, patient means of negotiating. In his second term, Mr. Perez de Cuellar gained further worldwide attention as he successfully worked to bring about the independence of Nambia, the release of Western hostages in the Middle East, and a cease-fire between Iran and Iraq. Under his leadership, the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Mr. Perez de Cuellar retired from his post as Secretary General of the United Nations in 1991 and subsequently served as the Peruvian Ambassador to France.

ADOLFO PEREZ ESQUIVEL, A gifted sculptor, Adolfo Perez Esquivel served as a professor at the distinguished Manuel Belgrano Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires from 1956 to 1973. In 1966, he was appointed Secretary General of Service for Peace and Justice in Latin America, an organization which allowed him to voice his passionate call for human rights and nonviolence. He left his sculpting career in the early 1970s to devote his full energies to human rights concerns. Then, in 1977, without being formally charged or tried by a jury, he was jailed and tortured by the Argentine government. Adolfo Perez Esquivel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1980 and still a leading human rights crusader, he continues to serve as Secretary General of the Fundacion Servicio Paz y Justicia Argentina.

DESMOND M. TUTU, The Most Reverend Desmond M. Tutu, formerly the Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, has served as president of the All Africa Conference of Churches, and as Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape. Internationally known for his vocal opposition to apartheid and other crimes against humanity, Archbishop Tutu has been honored with an array of prestigious awards, including the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award and the Distinguished Peace Leadership Award. The recipient of more than thirty honorary degrees, the Archbishop is also founder and honorary chairman of The Bishop Desmond Tutu Southern Africa Scholarship Fund. Upon his retirement in 1996, he was appointed the head of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigating apartheid crimes.

ALAN L. GLEITSMAN, As president of The Gleitsman Foundation, Mr. Gleitsman also serves as a member of the International Activist Award Board of Judges.