International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize

International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize
Awarded for	Commitment to human rights
sponsor	Hermann Kesten (1995) Billy Joel (1997) Bruno Schnell (1999–2015)
Prize money	€ 15,000
date	September October
Loan location	Nuremberg
Country	Germany
Awarded by	City of Nuremberg
First awarded	17th September 1995
website	International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize

The International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize is a German human rights prize that has been awarded in Nuremberg since 1995 .

The award is given to international personalities in recognition of their commitment to human rights . In particular, citizens of countries in which politically active human rights defenders are at risk and can face persecution and reprisals are honored. The prize is awarded to individuals or groups every two years and is endowed with 15,000 euros.

The previous awarding of the prizes has resulted in active human rights activists receiving greater public attention and being less at risk from persecution.

history

Entrance gate to the street of human rights , which was optically model for the design of the award (photo from the north, from the Kornmarkt )

Emergence

The initiative to award a human rights award on the part of the city of Nuremberg came about in 1993. The reason for this was the construction and opening of the Strasse der Menschenrechte , an installation by the Israeli artist Dani Karavan . The then Lord Mayor of Nuremberg, Peter Schönlein , presented the idea to the public in a speech in the summer of the same year and received a great deal of approval.

The prize was awarded for the first time on September 17, 1995. This date, deliberately chosen, was intended to be a reminder of historical events : Exactly 60 years earlier, the National Socialist race laws were passed in Nuremberg and the Second World War ended around 50 years earlier . The award is a response from the city of Nuremberg to the state-decreed human rights crimes of those years and is intended to be a symbol to the whole world that signals other than those of peace, reconciliation, understanding and respect for human rights should never emanate from Nuremberg.

Award ceremony 1995

Sergei Adamowitsch Kowaljow (2011)

The first award ceremony took place on September 17, 1995. The Russian citizen Sergei Kowaljow was honored for his commitment against the Chechnya war . The former President of the Czech Republic and co-founder of the Charter 77 civil rights movement, Václav Havel , gave the laudation for the winner of the award and José Ayala Lasso , the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered a welcoming address. The writer and honorary citizen of the city of Nuremberg Hermann Kesten donated the prize money of 25,000 DM.

Award ceremony 1997

Abie Nathan (1961), one of the two 1997 winners

On September 28, 1997, the second presentation of the Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize took place in the Nuremberg Opera House . For his contribution to international understanding between Israelis and Palestinians , as well as his active engagement in disaster areas, the Israeli national Abe J. Nathan received the award, and the Tunisian Khémaïs Chammari was recognized for his commitment to democracy and human rights in his home country. The prize money was donated by the pop star Billy Joel , whose Jewish parents had to leave Nuremberg while fleeing the Nazis. Daniel Jacoby , Honorary President of the Féderation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l'Homme , gave the laudation, while Ursula Schleicher , the then Vice-President of the European Parliament, gave the speech on Europe and the Middle East Peace Process . Greetings from the Bavarian State Government were delivered by Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber .

Award ceremony 1999

Fatimata M'Baye at the International Women of Courage Award 2016

The third award ceremony took place on September 26, 1999 in the Nuremberg Opera House, at which the Mauritanian Fatimata M'Baye was recognized for her commitment to the rights of the black African population, as well as for equality between men and women and the abolition of slavery. Furthermore, the first Mauritanian lawyer campaigns for the recognition and observance of human rights at numerous regional African congresses. The honorary citizen of the city of Nuremberg , as well as the publisher and editor of the Nürnberger Nachrichten and the Nürnberger Zeitung Bruno Schnell donated the prize money.

Award ceremony 2001

Samuel Ruiz García (digital illustration by Puig Reixach 2013)

On September 16, 2001, the Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize was awarded for the fourth time in the Nuremberg Opera House. The Mexican Bishop Samuel Ruíz García received the award for his passionate commitment to defending the rights of the oppressed and poor indigenous peoples. Like two years earlier, Bruno Schnell was the sponsor of the prize money. The Argentine civil rights activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Adolfo Pérez Esquivel gave the laudatory speech. Greetings came from Kofi A. Annan , then Secretary General of the United Nations .

Award ceremony 2003

Teesta Setalvad (2016), one of two 2003 winners

Teesta Setalvad and Ibn Abdur Rehman were awarded the International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize at the fifth award ceremony on September 14, 2003 in the Nuremberg Opera House. The Indian Teesta Setalvad worked tirelessly against prejudice and discrimination against women and minorities in her home country. The Pakistani and Indian native Ibn Abdur Rehman received the award for his struggle for fundamental rights in Pakistan and his commitment to peace and reconciliation between India and Pakistan. Bruno Schnell, who again donated the prize money. Former President of Portugal and Member of the European Parliament Mário Soares gave the laudatory speech. The former Prime Minister of the Free State of Bavaria Edmund Stoiber and Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul , the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, brought the greetings from the Bavarian State Government.

Award ceremony 2005

On September 25, 2005, the International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize was awarded for the sixth time. The Uzbek Tamara Chikunova was honored at the Nuremberg Opera House for her extraordinary commitment to peace and human rights and, in this context, especially for the fight against torture and execution in her home country. Bruno Schnell again donated the prize money. Nora Morales de Cortiñas , an Argentine human rights activist and co-founder of the organization Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo , paid tribute to Chikunova in a laudatory speech.

Award ceremony 2007

The Rwandan human rights activist and author Eugénie Musayidire received the International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize on September 30, 2007 for her reconciliation work between the warring Hutu and Tutsi tribes in her home country. The donor of the prize money was Bruno Schnell. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Intolerance Doudou Diène gave the laudatory speech. Greetings came from Günther Beckstein , the Bavarian Minister of the Interior and honorary citizen of the city of Nuremberg , as well as from Gareth Evans , President of the International Crisis Group .

Award ceremony 2009

Protest for the release of Abdolfattah Soltani at the Inside Iran Conference in Berlin (2011)

On October 4, 2009, the eighth Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize was awarded in the Nuremberg Opera House. The Iranian lawyer and co-founder of the Tehran Center for Human Rights Defenders Abdolfattah Soltani was honored for his commitment to the recognition of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran . Since the Iranian authorities refused to allow Soltani to leave the country a few minutes before departure at Tehran airport and withdrew his recently issued passport, the prize had to be awarded for the first time in the absence of the prize winner. The award was accepted by Masoumeh Dehgan, Soltani's wife, for which she was sentenced in 2012 by an Iranian court to one year probation and a five-year travel ban. All political speakers, in particular the mayor of Nuremberg, Ulrich Maly , sharply condemned the behavior on the part of Iran. The President of the Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l'Homme , Souhayr Belhassen gave the laudatory speech.

Award ceremony 2011

Hollman Morris in Bogotá (2015)

The ninth award ceremony took place on September 25, 2011. The Colombian television journalist , documentary filmmaker and human rights activist Hollman Morris was honored for his media work for conflict resolution and human rights, as well as against armed conflicts in South America . In his acceptance speech, he described the yoke that all of Latin America is suffering from - a region of the world whose resources are bleeding out due to the global economic market and are depriving its inhabitants of their livelihoods .

"[...] we can no longer bear the cost of this struggle in human life, in the social and environmental areas alone. First world countries must take action to regulate the demand for these products. We are ready to work together, but we need outraged citizens in the industrialized countries who ask where and how these many natural raw materials come from. "

- Hollman Morris : Speech by the laureate at the presentation of the Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize , 2011

In terms of music, the program was designed by the Nuremberg State Philharmonic under the direction of General Music Director Markus Bosch . Bruno Schnell was the donor of the prize money for the seventh time. The laudation was given by the Colombian professor Flor Alba Romero. Further speeches were given by the Lord Mayor of Nuremberg, Ulrich Maly, the Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer , Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and Jan Jarab , a regional representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Award ceremony 2013

Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera at the WorldPride Congress in Madrid 2017

On September 29, the Ugandan human rights activist and co-founder of Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG) Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera was awarded the tenth International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize. She was honored for her courageous fight against homophobia and for realizing LBGT rights in her home country and appealed to around 800 guests to respect universal human rights:

“[...] Human rights are not gifts given to a society. One has to understand that it is innate rights that fundamentally define us as human beings. First of all, I'm human, then I'm a lesbian, and those who oppress me shouldn't misunderstand that […] Ladies and gentlemen: The struggle continues. Please continue to stand by us! "

- Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera : Speech by the laureate on the presentation of the Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize , 2013

The prize money was again made available by Bruno Schnell. The laudation was delivered by Boris Dittrich, Human Rights Watch director of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights. Nuremberg's Lord Mayor Ulrich Maly and Ângela Melo from UNESCO also gave speeches. There was also an ecumenical service and numerous written congratulations for the award and especially for the award winner, including from the Council of Europe and the European Commission .

Award ceremony 2015

Amirul Haque Amin at the Nuremberg Peace Table (2015)

The eleventh Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize was awarded on September 27, 2015 to the Bangladeshi Amirul Haque Amin , the President and co-founder of the National Garments Workers Federation (NGWF) for his commitment to the National Union of Textile Workers in Bangladesh . In his award-winning speech, he kept the memory of the many workers who were injured or died in fires in textile factories and blamed the greed of the factory owners for accidents like that of Rana Plaza with over a thousand deaths.

"I strongly believe that through this award, you have recognized the everyday struggles of the Bangladeshi garment workers for labor rights, safe workplace and living wage. You know that each award is an inspiration and this award will also inspire me, my organization and my fellow collegues to work further in the human rights issue related to garment workers. "

- Amirul Haque Amin : Speech by the laureate on the presentation of the Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize , 2015

In her laudation, the head of the trade department of UNI Global Union Alke Boessiger described Amin as a passionate and fearless fighter for human and labor rights who would have made a decisive contribution to the positive conclusion of the Bangladesh Agreement. She also highlighted the high dangers for trade union leaders in Bangladesh, such as intimidation, physical violence and even death. The guests were also the German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs Sigmar Gabriel , as well as Sandra Polaski , Deputy Director General for Policy Issues of the United Nations International Labor Organization, who criticized the low wages in Bangladesh's textile industry.

Award ceremony 2017

A under the code name Caesar occurring Syrian photographer got together with friends under the name Group Caesar the twelfth Nuremberg International Human Rights Award. The group was recognized for their commitment to smuggle the 50,000 or so pictures that Caesar had taken as a military photographer with the Syrian army up to 2011 through the French journalist Garance Le Caisne . Around 28,000 of the pictures show abused or murdered prisoners in Syrian prisons and represent a possibly important contribution to coming to terms with human rights crimes during the civil war in Syria . After his escape in 2013, the photographs were taken in Nuremberg in the Kreis-Galerie on Straße der Menschenrechte publicly exhibited.

“Whichever mechanism is chosen, the photos of Caesar will help ensure that leaders in the Assad government and others in the chain of command are prosecuted, not just for attacking civilians with bombs and poison gas but also for the horrors they inflicted on people detained in their detention centers. We all owe Caesar our highest respect and our deepest admiration for the courage with which he made this evidence available to the outside world. It is now up to all of us to see that the crimes he documented are ended as quickly as possible and that the people who ordered them are finally brought to justice. "

- Kenneth Roth : Speech by the Director of Human Rights Watch on the presentation of the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award , 2017

The award ceremony took place in front of around 700 guests in the Nuremberg Opera House . Among the guests was Barbara Lochbihler , Vice-President of the European Parliament's Human Rights Committee , who sees Caesar's photos as an appeal to humanity to oppose the torturers and murderers in Syria . The speakers also appealed to the international community and the national courts not to let international and human rights crimes go unpunished. Garance Le Caisne accepted the award on behalf of the group.

Prize winners

The winners have come from 15 different countries so far, with two people being honored twice (1997, 2003). Five prizes went to women, ten to men.

year	Surname	country
1995	Sergei Kovalev	Russia
1997	Khémaïs Chammari	Tunisia
	Abie Nathan	Israel
1999	Fatimata M'Baye	Mauritania
2001	Samuel Ruiz García	Mexico
2003	Teesta Setalvad	India
	Ibn Abdur Rehman	Pakistan
2005	Tamara Chikunova	Uzbekistan
2007	Eugénie Musayidire	Rwanda
2009	Abdolfattah Soltani	Iran
2011	Hollman Morris	Colombia
2013	Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera	Uganda
2015	Amirul Haque Amin	Bangladesh
2017	Caesar group	Syria
2019	Rodrigo Mundaca	Chile

jury

The jury for determining the award winners has meanwhile achieved a high reputation through the selection of the candidates. In the course of time, the United Nations , UNESCO and well - known non - governmental organizations became aware of the award and have therefore attached great importance to the award.

Current jury

image	Surname	country	function	Member since
	Iris Berben	Germany	Actress former President of the German Film Academy Ambassador for the Room of Names in the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, winner of the Federal Cross of Merit, 1st class	2016
	Anne Brasseur	Luxembourg	Politician President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Ambassador of the Council of Europe for the Non Hate Speech Movements Member of the Chambre des Députés in Luxembourg	2012
	Shirin Ebadi	Iran	Lawyer and first Iranian judge . Former lecturer at the University of Tehran. Nobel Peace Prize laureate 2003. Founder and legal advisor of the Association for the Protection of Children's Rights in Iran	2004
	Hilal Elver	Turkey	UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food . Former lecturer at Ankara University. Member of the United Nations Forum of Intellectuals for the Least Developed Countries	2016
	Gareth Evans	Australia	Rector of the Australian National University Former President of the International Crisis Group Member of the Advisory Board to the UN Secretary General for the Prevention of Genocide Former Foreign Minister of Australia	2008
	Hina Jilani	Pakistan	Lawyer, former UN special rapporteur for human rights defenders	2012
	Kagawiria Mbogori	Kenya	Chair of the National Human Rights Commission in Kenya	2016
	Maurice Glèlè-Ahanhanzo	Benin	Professor of Law Former member of the UN Human Rights Committee Former member of the Constitutional Court of Benin President of the Institute for Human Rights and Democracy	1995
	Dani Karavan	Israel	Internationally renowned artist, designer of the Street of Human Rights in Nuremberg (1993)	1995
	Sonia Picado Sotela	Costa Rica	Lawyer President of the Inter-American Human Rights Institute President of the United Nations Fund to Support Victims of Torture . Former Ambassador of Costa Rica to the USA	2008
	Ulrich Maly	Germany	Lord Mayor of Nuremberg, former President and Vice President of the German City Council	2002

Former jury members

Surname	country	Period
Irina Bokova	Bulgaria	2008-2016
Theo van Boven	Netherlands	1995-2016
Daniel Jacoby	France	2004-2016
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel	Argentina	2004-2016
Rajmohan Gandhi	India	2000-2012
Roman Duke	Germany	2000-2008
Asma Jahangir	Pakistan	1995-2008
Koïchiro Matsuura	Japan	2000-2008
José Míguez Bonino	Argentina	1995-2004
Ludwig Scholz	Germany	1996-2002
Vaclav Havel	Czech Republic	1995-2000
Federico Mayor	Spain	1995-2000
Richard von Weizsäcker	Germany	1995-2000
Peter Schönlein	Germany	1995-1996

Peace table

Since 1999, the 950th anniversary of Nuremberg, a common meal has been held at a table in the old town after the award of the International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize. The peace plaque should be understood as a symbol for peace, tolerance and respect for human rights .

1999

The first Nuremberg Peace Table entered the Guinness Book of Records as the “longest peace table in the world” . With around 40,000 guests, a multicultural community festival took place over a length of 7.8 kilometers on September 25th, which was well attended despite the bad weather. Here sounded from over 500 singers on seven distributed over the old town stages, and the main market starting simultaneously Melchior Franck's choral and orchestral work Da pacem, Domine (Lord, give us peace) ^{? / i} in a modern work-up. More than 20 stages and action areas were offered along the entire length before the final concert of the world music band Dissidents took place on the main market.

2001

The second Nuremberg Peace Table was canceled at short notice due to the terrorist attacks of September 11th in New York and Washington five days earlier . Instead, the city of Nuremberg held a peace rally in front of the Nuremberg Opera House in which around 7,500 people from Nuremberg took part and the Argentine human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, as well as the prize winner Samuel Ruiz García , warned in their speeches of the dangers of revenge, hatred and revanchism .

2003

The 2003 Peace Table took place in the Street of Human Rights on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. It was dominated by the home countries of this year's award winners, India and Pakistan. Around 3,000 guests attended the roundtables, readings and the music and dance performances.

2005

The 2005 Friendenstafel was dedicated to Uzbekistan and took place on the grain market and the street of human rights. In addition to talks with the award winner and jury on the subjects of “Torture and Execution in Uzbekistan”, “Integration”, “The Immigration Act in Germany” and “Globalization and Human Rights”, there were musical interludes by the Uzbek group Mokhira , among others .

2007

Around 5,000 citizens took part in the 2007 Peace Table at over 500 tables between the Straße der Menschenrechte, Hallplatz , Kornmarkt and Jakobsplatz, and at the end of the event they let balloons in the Nuremberg colors of red and white rise into the air as a symbol of human rights .

2009

The 2009 peace table, which was attended by 4,000 guests, began and ended with information on Iran. On behalf of the laureate, who was not allowed to leave Iran, his wife Masoumeh Dehgan and Ulrich Maly visited the table and sought dialogue with citizens. Artists from different cultures played in eight places along the board.

2011

For the presentation of the International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize, the table was held for the first time in connection with World Children's Day. To this end, the Nuremberg Children's Commission and the Human Rights Office organized a “Children's Peace Panel”. The children's questions about human rights in Colombia and Germany were answered by the award winner Hollman Morris together with his family and the Lord Mayor of Nuremberg Ulrich Maly at Jakobsplatz.

2013

The 2013 peace table took place with around 4,000 guests from Hallplatz, via Kornmarkt, Dr.-Kurt-Schumacher-Strasse to Färberstrasse and into the Strasse der Menschenrechte. In addition to choir performances, African-inspired music and discussion tables, as well as drinks and food to be brought along, there was a discussion about LGBTI people in Uganda in the Caritas Pirckheimer House .

2015

Around 4,000 guests attended the 2015 Peace Table, which stretched with a new route from Dr.-Kurt-Schumacher-Strasse in the west to Hallplatz in the east. The textile artist Heidi Drahota called for participation in a total work of art, to which everyone should bring a piece of material of personal importance. The “Window to the World”, the “Lorenzer Laden” and the “Mission One World” provided information about the textile industry, especially in the southern countries, under the motto “Crime scenes of unfair trade”.

2017

The 10th Peace Table took place on September 24th.

See also

• United Nations Human Rights Prize
• European human rights award
• Amnesty International Human Rights Award
• Petra Kelly Prize
• Sakharov Prize

Web links

• Nuremberg Human Rights Office
• Nuremberg human rights office at the price

Individual evidence

1. ↑ nuernberg.de - Human Rights Award
2. ↑ nuernberg.de - Human Rights Award
3. ↑ nuernberg.de - Human Rights Award
4. ↑ nuernberg.de - Human Rights Award
5. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 1995
6. ↑ nuernberg.de - Sergej Kowaljow
7. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 1997
8. ↑ nuernberg.de - Abe J. Nathan
9. ↑ nuernberg.de - Kemais Chammari
10. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 1999
11. ↑ nuernberg.de - Fatimata M'Baye
12. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 2001
13. ↑ nuernberg.de - Samuel Ruíz García
14. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 2003
15. ↑ nuernberg.de - Ibn Abdur Rehman
16. ↑ nuernberg.de - Teesta Setalvad
17. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 2005
18. ↑ nuernberg.de - Tamara Chikunova
19. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 2007
20. ↑ nuernberg.de - Eugénie Musayidire
21. ↑ Soltani's wife condemned ( memento of the original from February 10, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Bayerischer Rundfunk , Studio Franken from November 19, 2012 
22. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 2009
23. ↑ nuernberg.de - Abdolfattah Soltani
24. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 2011
25. ↑ nuernberg.de - Hollman Morris
26. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 2013
27. ↑ nuernberg.de - Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera
28. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 2015  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
29. ↑ nuernberg.de - Amirul Haque Amin
30. ^ ^{A b} archivist of death: Syrian photographer "Caesar" receives Nuremberg human rights award. Br.de , September 22, 2017, archived from the original on December 25, 2017 ; accessed on October 3, 2017 . 
31. ↑ Code name Caesar: anonymous photographer is Assad's public enemy number one. Welt.de , March 17, 2016, accessed October 3, 2017 . 
32. ↑ International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize 2017 awarded to the "Caesar Group". www.nuernberg.de, September 24, 2017, accessed October 3, 2017 . 
33. ↑ nuernberg.de - Award ceremony 2017
34. ↑ nuernberg.de - Jury
35. ↑ nuernberg.de - Jury
36. ↑ nuernberg.de - Peace table
37. ↑ nuernberg.de - Peace Table 1999
38. ↑ nuernberg.de - Peace Table 2001
39. ↑ nuernberg.de - Peace Table 2003
40. ↑ nuernberg.de - Peace Table 2005
41. ^ Citizens' Association Nuremberg Jobst-Erlenstegen e. V. - Peace Tablet 2007
42. ↑ nuernberg.de - Peace Table 2009
43. ↑ nuernberg.de - Peace Table 2011
44. ↑ nuernberg.de - Peace Table 2013
45. ↑ nuernberg.de - Peace Table 2015
46. ^ The Nuremberg Peace Table - Citizens' Festival for the award of the International Nuremberg Human Rights Prize. (PDF) www.nuernberg.de, June 2017, accessed on October 2, 2018 .