Call for nominations: The 2015 Martin Ennals Award for human rights defenders (MEA)
Nominations can be submitted electronically at www.martinennalsaward.org
Deadline: 9 December 2014
The Award is granted annually to an individual, or exceptionally anorganisation, in recognition of their commitment and ongoing efforts in thedefence and promotion of human rights. Nominees must be currently involved inwork for the promotion and protection of human rights. Special account is takenof those who are at risk and have demonstrated an active record of combatinghuman rights violations by courageous and innovative means. The MEA aims toencourage individuals or organisations, particularly those who are working inconditions hostile to fundamental human rights and who are in need ofprotection.
The present value of the annual Award is 20'000 Swiss Francs, to be used forfurther work in the field of human rights. The following organisations participatein the Jury that selects the award: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch,Front Line Defenders, Human Rights First, International Federation for HumanRights (FIDH), the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), InternationalCommission of Jurists (ICJ), International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), ProtestantAgency for Diakonia and Development (Germany) and HURIDOCS.
The Ceremony is hosted by theCity of Geneva in late 2015. They provide each of the final three nominees withprojectfunds of 11’650 CHF and a 5’000 CHF travel grant.
Martin Ennals (1927-1991) wasinstrumental to the modern human rights movement. He creatively pursued ideasahead of his time and was the driving force behind other organisations. Hisdeep desire was to see more cooperation among NGOs.
