24.10.2014Center Amalipe has been awarded the distinguished Polish Award named after Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003)
At a ceremony of the 11th edition of the distinguished Polish Award of Sergio Vieira de Mello, which took place at the International Conference “The Power of the Powerless – Revisited” on October 23, 2014 in Villa Decius in KrakowCenter Amalipe was honoured to receive the award in the NGO Cathegory for 2014.The Panel of Judgesconsidered 39 candidates this year. 24 people were nominated in the “Personal Achievement” category and 15 entities from all over the world were nominated in the “Non-governmental Organisation” category.
Center Amalipe was awarded the prize in recognition of its services in advancing the peaceful coexistence of societies, religions and cultures. It was distinguished for its work for promoting intercultural education and integration through education, for mobilizing the Roma community to continue education, support violence and early marriage prevention as well as for building civil identity and increasing the level of tolerance towards Roma in Bulgarian society. In her speech during the award ceremony Teodora Krumova, who received the distinguished prize shared:
“Receiving this prize is a big honor not just for us, but also for our communities. This is their prize for being able to show that the change is possible and a motivation to go further since there are three things that can help the powerless turn into powerful:
- Solidarity
- The vision that a better and a more peaceful world exist
- And the belief that you can be the change”
Leyla Yunus from Azerbaijan was awarded Laureate in the “person” category. Leyla Yunus (1955) is imprisoned Azerbaijani social activist, leader of the Institute for Peace and Democracy during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. On 28th April this year, she was detained together with her husband in Baku Airport, before a planned trip to a conference organised by the EED in Brussels. Arrested together with her husband, Arif Yunus, she has been in prison without access to the essential medical aid and possibility of contacting the family. Her detention was condemned by the government of the United States and the leading world organisations supporting human rights.
Following the initiative of the Villa Decius Association, the Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003) was established in the year 2003 with an aim to promote human rights, democracy and tolerance and had its first edition already in 2004. The Prize is awarded annually in two categories: 1) a person; and 2) a non-governmental organisation. The Prize is awarded to individuals and organizations from all over the world by the Panel of Judges composed of High Representatives of: the President of the Republic of Poland; UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to Poland; Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Poland; Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Institute of National Remembrance; Polish Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection, Embassies, Consulates and Foundations supporting actions of the Villa Decius Association in matters related to human rights; Founders of the Prize; Chairman and Director of the Villa Decius Association.
The Laureates receive a personal Diploma and a statuette of Sergio Vieira de Mello designed by an outstanding Polish artist, Andrzej Renes. The Prize may also have a financial dimension.
Center Amalipe has decided to use the prize to support students, who have been activists for promoting Roma inclusion, intercultural dialogue and tolerance.
Sergio Vieira De Mello
Sérgio Vieira de Mello (1948-2003) - born in Rio de Janeiro in 1948, studied philosophy and 
humanistic studies at Pantheon Sorbonne University of Paris. Being still a student, he started to cooperate with the United Nations, to become fully involved in the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva. He participated in numerous humanitarian and peacekeeping actions including Bangladesh, the Sudan, Cyprus, Mozambique and Peru. In 1981 he became Senior Political Advisor of UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon. In the period 1983-91, he was the Chief of the Cabinet of the High Commissioner, the Head of Regional Bureau of Asia and Oceania, and the Head of Section of International Relations. In the years 1991-96 he acted as a Special Envoy of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Cambodia. In 1996 he was nominated the Assistant of the High Commissioner for Refugees of UN and in 1998 took his post in New York as the General Undersecretary for Humanitarian Actions. Then he acted as the special Envoy of UN to Kosovo and in the years: 1999-2002 Chief Representative of UNTAC in East Timor. On September 12, 2002 he was nominated to the post of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In May 2003, acting as the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations, he went for a mission to Iraq. He died in bomb attack on UN office in Bagdad on 19 August 2003.
At a ceremony of the 11th edition of the distinguished Polish Award of Sergio Vieira de Mello, which took place at the International Conference “The Power of the Powerless – Revisited” on October 23, 2014 in Villa Decius in KrakowCenter Amalipe was honoured to receive the award in the NGO Cathegory for 2014.The Panel of Judgesconsidered 39 candidates this year. 24 people were nominated in the “Personal Achievement” category and 15 entities from all over the world were nominated in the “Non-governmental Organisation” category.
Center Amalipe was awarded the prize in recognition of its services in advancing the peaceful coexistence of societies, religions and cultures. It was distinguished for its work for promoting intercultural education and integration through education, for mobilizing the Roma community to continue education, support violence and early marriage prevention as well as for building civil identity and increasing the level of tolerance towards Roma in Bulgarian society. In her speech during the award ceremony Teodora Krumova, who received the distinguished prize shared:
“Receiving this prize is a big honor not just for us, but also for our communities. This is their prize for being able to show that the change is possible and a motivation to go further since there are three things that can help the powerless turn into powerful:
- Solidarity
- The vision that a better and a more peaceful world exist
- And the belief that you can be the change”
Leyla Yunus from Azerbaijan was awarded Laureate in the “person” category. Leyla Yunus (1955) is imprisoned Azerbaijani social activist, leader of the Institute for Peace and Democracy during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. On 28th April this year, she was detained together with her husband in Baku Airport, before a planned trip to a conference organised by the EED in Brussels. Arrested together with her husband, Arif Yunus, she has been in prison without access to the essential medical aid and possibility of contacting the family. Her detention was condemned by the government of the United States and the leading world organisations supporting human rights.
Following the initiative of the Villa Decius Association, the Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003) was established in the year 2003 with an aim to promote human rights, democracy and tolerance and had its first edition already in 2004. The Prize is awarded annually in two categories: 1) a person; and 2) a non-governmental organisation. The Prize is awarded to individuals and organizations from all over the world by the Panel of Judges composed of High Representatives of: the President of the Republic of Poland; UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to Poland; Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Poland; Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Institute of National Remembrance; Polish Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection, Embassies, Consulates and Foundations supporting actions of the Villa Decius Association in matters related to human rights; Founders of the Prize; Chairman and Director of the Villa Decius Association.
The Laureates receive a personal Diploma and a statuette of Sergio Vieira de Mello designed by an outstanding Polish artist, Andrzej Renes. The Prize may also have a financial dimension.
Center Amalipe has decided to use the prize to support students, who have been activists for promoting Roma inclusion, intercultural dialogue and tolerance.
Sergio Vieira De Mello
Sérgio Vieira de Mello (1948-2003) - born in Rio de Janeiro in 1948, studied philosophy and humanistic studies at Pantheon Sorbonne University of Paris. Being still a student, he started to cooperate with the United Nations, to become fully involved in the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva. He participated in numerous humanitarian and peacekeeping actions including Bangladesh, the Sudan, Cyprus, Mozambique and Peru. In 1981 he became Senior Political Advisor of UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon. In the period 1983-91, he was the Chief of the Cabinet of the High Commissioner, the Head of Regional Bureau of Asia and Oceania, and the Head of Section of International Relations. In the years 1991-96 he acted as a Special Envoy of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Cambodia. In 1996 he was nominated the Assistant of the High Commissioner for Refugees of UN and in 1998 took his post in New York as the General Undersecretary for Humanitarian Actions. Then he acted as the special Envoy of UN to Kosovo and in the years: 1999-2002 Chief Representative of UNTAC in East Timor. On September 12, 2002 he was nominated to the post of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In May 2003, acting as the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations, he went for a mission to Iraq. He died in bomb attack on UN office in Bagdad on 19 August 2003.
