Press Release  

Call for nominations for Human Rights Defenders Tulip 2009

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2009 Human Rights Defenders Tulip award. Anyone can nominate a candidate for the human rights defenders award at  www.humanrightstulip.org.  The award, an initiative of the Dutch Government, will be presented by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs on 9 November.

Established last year by the Dutch government, the Human Rights Defenders Tulip is an expression of appreciation intended to acknowledge persons who have shown exceptional moral courage in protecting and promoting the rights of fellow citizens.

“Human rights defenders need to have the opportunity to do their work well, in safety. They unfortunately often face threats and become the target of human rights violations. The Human Rights Defenders Tulip brings them out of anonymity. That is why the Dutch government views this award as a necessity,” Minister Verhagen explains.

Only individuals can be nominated for the award; organisations are not eligible for consideration. They should be human rights defenders who work full-time to promote or protect human rights. They should have faced or be at risk of facing negative personal consequences as a result of their work. The individual nominees are activists who could benefit from the recognition and visibility associated with winning the award.

The winner receives an official commemorative statuette, the Human Rights Defenders Tulip, and an individual cash award of EUR 10,000. He or she also has the opportunity to submit a proposal for a project to the value of up to EUR 100,000, to be used to intensify the winner’s work as a human rights defender.

Congolese human rights defender Justine Masika received the first Human Rights Defenders Tulip in 2008, presented by Minister Verhagen. Masika heads an organisation that combats the widespread sexual violence that women face in the armed conflict in eastern Congo.

Nominations must be received by 23 August at the latest. The jury, comprising Antony Burgmans, Jaap Doek, Cisca Dresselhuys, Victor Scheffers and Rabbi Soetendorp, will nominate three candidates. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs will select the final winner from these three nominees.

Note for the editor

For more information on the Human Rights Defenders Tulip, visit:  www.humanrightstulip.org  or contact the Secretariat of the Human Rights Defenders Tulip, Chris Collier,  secretariat@humanrightstulip.org  or +31 634936026

Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, press office, Aad Meijer,  aad.meijer@minbuza.nl, or +31 703485998 or +31 652503995