Monday, June 11 2018 11:15

ArmInfo. The third annual $1.1 million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity was awarded today to Mr. Kyaw Hla Aung, a lawyer and activist recognized for his dedication to fighting for equality, education and human rights for the Rohingya  people in Myanmar, in the face of persecution, harassment and  oppression. Kyaw Hla Aung was presented the 2018 Aurora Prize,  granted by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative on behalf of the  survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors,  at a ceremony in Armenia.

Kyaw Hla Aung was selected as the 2018  Aurora Prize Laureate among 750 nominations submitted from 115  countries.

Vartan Gregorian, Co-Founder of the Aurora Prize and Member of the  Selection Committee, commended Mr. Aung, stating: "As we remember the  horrors and violence experienced by Armenians - especially women and  children - on the deportation route during the Genocide, it is with a  great sense of responsibility that we stand ready to support Kyaw Hla  Aung's advocacy work that will hopefully lead one day to the  enactment of national and international policies to protect and  defend the vulnerable. Kyaw Hla Aung is doing tremendous work, at  great risk to himself, and exemplifies the far-reaching impact one  person can have to galvanize a movement, and to help individuals  transform their lives."  

As the 2018 Aurora Prize Laureate, Kyaw Hla Aung will receive a  $100,000 grant and the opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by  donating the accompanying $1,000,000 award to organizations of his  choice. He will donate the award to three international organizations  that provide medical aid and assistance to refugees in Myanmar:   Medecins Sans Frontieres (London) Malaysian Medical Relief - MERCY  Malaysia (Malaysia) International Catholic Migration Commission -  ICMC (Switzerland, USA)

Kyaw Hla Aung has been working tirelessly for decades, using his  legal expertise to appeal for basic human rights for the stateless  Rohingya people. His commitment to fight for justice for the hundreds  of thousands of Muslim refugees in Myanmar persecuted by the  government, and for the children who no longer have access to  education, remains stronger than ever. He sacrificed a total of 12  years in prison as a result of his mission, at huge personal cost to  his own family.  

On being named the 2018 Aurora Prize Laureate, Kyaw Hla Aung said:  "There are severe restrictions on my people. They have lost their  courage and faith in themselves, have become illiterate, and, as a  result, are penniless. It has been heartbreaking to see my community  suffer from such discrimination. The support of the Aurora Prize  serves as important recognition for all of the Muslim victims of  human rights violations, as the plight of the Rohingya people  continues to become more visible to the international public."

"Kyaw Hla Aung's work personifies the spirit of the Aurora Prize. He  demonstrates the exceptional impact an individual can have in  fighting injustice that often seems unbeatable, and inspires us to  consider how a brave step forward to support the world's most  vulnerable people can create impact beyond measure," said Mary  Robinson, Aurora Prize Selection Committee Member and Former UN High  Commissioner for Human Rights.  Leading international humanitarian  figures and Aurora Prize Selection Committee members, including Nobel  Laureate Shirin Ebadi; former president of Ireland Mary Robinson;  former foreign minister of Australia and President Emeritus of the  International Crisis Group Gareth Evans; former president of Mexico,  Ernesto Zedillo; Director of the Institute of Global Health  Innovation at Imperial College London, Lord Ara Darzi; former US  Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power; and co-founder of  Medecins Sans Frontieres and former French foreign minister, Bernard  Kouchner, were in Armenia to celebrate the 2018 Aurora Prize  Laureate.

Kyaw Hla Aung was congratulated by Dr. Tom Catena, who was awarded  the 2017 Aurora Prize for his exceptional commitment to providing  urgent medical care to the 750,000 people in the war-torn Nuba  Mountains of Sudan. He said: "The Aurora Prize has created a true  light for our people in Nuba, and has helped rebuild the resilience  of our community, ultimately to keep people alive. I am proud to  share the Aurora Prize mantle with such a selfless humanitarian as  Kyaw Hla Aung. I congratulate him on receiving this award and applaud  his incredibly selfless efforts fighting for such a noble cause."

Guests of the Aurora Prize Ceremony also honored the contributions of  the other two 2018 Aurora Prize Humanitarians: Dr. Sunitha Krishnan,  women's rights advocate and Co-Founder of Prajwala, India, and Father  Tomas Gonzalez Castillo, Founder of La 72, a center that supports  Central American migrants in Mexico. 

The Aurora Prize Co-Founders, Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and  Ruben Vardanyan, and the organization's esteemed Selection Committee  members join in congratulating the exceptional efforts of Kyaw Hla  Aung, and the 2018 Aurora Humanitarians. As modern-day saviors who  are putting their own lives at risk to save others, they serve to  inspire the global community to step up embrace a commitment to our  shared humanity.  Founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian  Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Humanitarian  Initiative seeks to empower modern-day saviors to offer life and hope  to those in urgent need of basic humanitarian aid anywhere in the  world and thus continue the cycle of giving internationally. The  Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is Gratitude in Action. It is an  eight-year commitment (2015 to 2023, in remembrance of the eight  years of the Armenian Genocide that took place from 1915 to1923) to  support people and promote global projects that tackle the needs of  the most helpless and destitute and do so at great risk. This is  achieved through the Initiative's various programs: The Aurora Prize  for Awakening Humanity, the Aurora Dialogues, the Aurora Humanitarian  Index, the Gratitude Projects and the 100 LIVES Initiative. The  Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is the vision of philanthropists  Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan who have been  joined by more than two hundred new supporters and partners. The  Initiative welcomes all who embrace a commitment to our shared  humanity. 

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is represented by three  organizations - Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation, Inc. (New  York, USA), the 100 Lives Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) and the  IDeA Foundation (Yerevan, Armenia). 

The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity is a global humanitarian  award established to recognize modern day heroes and the exceptional  impact their actions have made on preserving human life and advancing  humanitarian causes in the face of adversity. On behalf of the  survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors,  an Aurora Prize Laureate is being honored each year between 2015 and  2023 (in remembrance of the eight years of the Armenian Genocide  1915-1923) with a US$100,000 grant as well as the unique opportunity  to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organizations that  inspired their work for a US$1,000,000 award.

The Aurora Prize Selection Committee includes Nobel Laureates Oscar  Arias, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee; former president of Ireland  Mary Robinson; human rights activist Hina Jilani; former foreign  minister of Australia and President Emeritus of the International  Crisis Group Gareth Evans; former president of Mexico Ernesto  Zedillo; Medecins Sans Frontieres co-founder and former foreign  minister of France Bernard Kouchner; Director of the Institute of  Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London Professor the  Lord Ara Darzi; former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha  Power; President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York Vartan  Gregorian; and Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian George  Clooney.