Four Freedoms Awards 2022: ÜniKuir won Freedom from Fear Award
Four Freedoms Awards 2022: ÜniKuir won Freedom from Fear Award
- 10/02/2022
- ÜniKuir
The international award, granted by the Roosevelt Foundation, goes to an LGBTI+ organization for the first time.
Translated by Öykü
The Four Freedoms Awards has its roots in the former United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 speech about “Four Freedoms”, which would later be included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In his speech, Roosevelt said that if democracy is to survive and flourish, people everywhere in the world are entitled to four human rights: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The Four Freedoms Awards are presented to people and organizations each year whose achievements have demonstrated a commitment to these principles.
The 2022 Awards laureates have been announced today, on the 10th of February. ÜniKuir has been honored with the Freedom from Fear Award. This is the first time the award has been given to a person or organization involved in LGBTQ+ activism. Previously, Erol Önderoğlu from Turkey was awarded in the Freedom of Speech category for their activism in journalism and freedom of the press.
The previous Freedom from Fear laureates include well-known names and organizations such as the Nobel-winning activist Malala Yusufzay from Pakistan and the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch. Additionally, the annual International Four Freedoms Medal has been awarded to leaders like the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Angela Merkel. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian politician in exile in Lithuania, has been awarded the International Four Freedoms Medal this year.
The award will be presented to ÜniKuir founders Melike Balkan and Özgür Gür on April 21st in Middelburg, Holland. ÜniKuir has been cited as follows in today’s press release:
“ÜniKuir works to promote equal access to education, freedom of assembly and speech, equal treatment under the law and prevention of discrimination and hate speech.
The organization supports LGBTI+ individuals by trial monitoring and advocacy campaigns, helps to gain access to proper healthcare and provides psychological assistance and counseling, gives legal support and guidance, organizes forums, gatherings and workshops to promote cooperation between youth LGBTI+ organizations and international and local decision-makers.”
Other Awards
- The award for the Freedom of Speech and Expression goes to the Vietnamese singer-songwriter and freedom of speech advocate Mai Khoi Do Nguyen
- The award for the Freedom of Worship goes to Indonesian founder and chair of the Mosintuwu Institute Lian Gogali
- The award for the Freedom from Want goes to Kenyan human rights activist Nice Nailantei Leng’ete
About the Roosevelt Foundation
The Roosevelt Foundation in Middelburg and the Roosevelt Institute in New York work to inspire people to promote these four freedoms, everywhere in the world. The Four Freedoms Awards ceremonies take place in the odd years in New York and in the even years in Middelburg. More information about the Four Freedoms Awards
