Laureates receive Four Freedoms Awards in Middelburg
This happened during the Four Freedoms Awards ceremony in the Nieuwe Kerk in Middelburg, organized by the Roosevelt Foundation. This ceremony is held every other year in New York and Middelburg. The awards go to individuals and organizations that give inspiring expression to the four fundamental freedoms for people all over the world. Franklin-Delano Roosevelt in 1941 first stated these freedoms in his 1941 speech to the US Congress, but the freedoms are more important than ever.
In front of four hundred invited guests, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Roosevelt Foundation for her International Four Freedoms Award. She took on the Belarusian Lukashenko in 2020 and thus became the face of the peaceful resistance against the dictator. In her acceptance speech, she indicated that she continues to believe in the power of the people. “We are the majority. The powerless became the powerful. Freedom requires making difficult but right choices. It takes self-sacrifice. Solidarity and humanity are our superpowers.”
According to Prime Minister Rutte, who presented the award to Tsikhanouskaya, she is not only a source of inspiration for the people of Belarus, but also an example for the world. “The award is a recognition for your work in Belarus and a support for the struggle for democracy around the world. You are a beacon of hope.”
Laureates Four Freedoms Awards 2022
- This year's International Four Freedoms Award went to the leader of the Belarusian democracy movement, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. She was presented with her medal by Prime Minister Mark Rutte and twelve-year-old Eleanor James Browne, a descendant of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (the granddaughter of his granddaughter Anna Roosevelt).
- The Freedom of Speech award went to the Vietnamese singer-songwriter and free speech fighter Mai Khoi Do Nguyen. Mai Khoi was presented with her award by spoken word artist Zaire Krieger.
- The award for the Freedom of Worship went to the Indonesian Lian Gogali, founder and president of the Mosintuwu Institute. Lian was presented with her award by Jacobine-Geel, presenter and chair of the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights.
- The award for the Freedom from Want went to Kenyan human rights activist Nice Nailantei Leng'ete. Nice was presented with her award by author Lale Gül.
- The Freedom from Fear award went to the Turkish non-governmental LGBTI+ organization, ÜniKuir. The founders of ÜniKuir, Melike Balkan and Özgür Gür, were presented with their award by presenter Paul de Leeuw.
Four Freedoms Meet-up
After the ceremony, the Four Freedoms Meet-up took place in the Nieuwe Kerk. In collaboration with Vrijheidscolleges, the Roosevelt Foundation wants to appeal to a younger target group with this new program. There were 200 mainly young people at the event who could ask questions to the award winners. Present at the Meet-up was football player and activist for peace Evegeniy Levchenko. He spoke with Tsikhanouskaya about the war in Ukraine and the role of neighboring Belarus in the conflict.
Watch online
The Four Freedoms Awards ceremony was broadcast live. Several thousand people watched. The ceremony and the Meet-up can still be viewed online via www.fourfreedoms.nl.
