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Democracy Ribbons 2011 go to the Tahrir square youth
On Friday 25 November, the Democray Ribbons are handed out for the third year in a row. It is a tribute to those who commit themselves in a special way to democracy. The ceremony will take place at 17:15 during the Digital Democracy 2020 event in the Waag Society on the Nieuwmarkt in Amsterdam. The 3 winners will recieve their ribbon from the hands of last years winner and member of the jury, Mercedes Zandwijken.
Through the website dagvandedemocratie.eu the public was able to nominate candidates in 3 categories:
- International
- Digital
- National
The jury, consisting of last years winners (Yael Patir and Nancy Sadiq of the Palestinian-Israeli Peace NGO Forum, Lot Feijen of Lijst 0 and Mercedes Zandwijken for her Thinktank Social Cohesion in the Neighbourhood), weighed the nominees under the presidency of minster Wim Deetman. They looked for candidates who made special efforts for democracy promotion, built bridges, paved new ways for democracy and selflessly put energy into the improvement of society. Not just for themselves but for those around them.
International
In the category 'International' there were nominees from different parts of the world: Mali, Ghana, Tunisia. With conviction, this years Democracy Ribbon International goes to the youth of the Tahrir square. The jury believes that these youngsters deserve this award for their persistance and their belief in freedom. They have contributed to a global change in thoughts on democracy. They deserve attention en remain in need of support for the rebuilding of their nation. The ribbon will be awarded to Ahmed Maher. He plays a leading role in the Movement of 6 April, a mayor player in the Egyptian people's uprising on the Tahrir square.
Digital
In the category 'Digital' the winner also comes from Egypt: Sandmonkey aka Mahmoud Salem. Social media played a mayor role in the revolution on and around the Tahrir square. Sandmonkey's blog reached and still reaches many people and was of clear importance in the direction of the developments in Egypt. Since 2005 he's been reporting on gatherings by demonstrators. He used his digital means to encourage people to join.
National
In the category 'National' the winnar is Raja Felgata, a woman who's dedicated herself for years to the position of the coloured women in the Netherlands. Raja was the first anchor woman of Maroccan descent on channel AT5. She encountered barrieres, just as many others. She now uses her experience to draw attention to the great power in the networks of women with 'colour and diversity'. She created a list with 101 important colourful women in the Netherlands as a countering force to the famous list of most powerful women by the magazine 'Opzij'. Through her continues work for a more colourful Netherlands, Raja is an inspiration to many.
The Democracy Ribbons are an initiative of NIMD, Netwerk Democratie, the European Partnership for Democracy and ProDemos.
For more information you can contact Marieke van Doorn of the European Partnership for Democracy on mariekevandoorn@epd.eu or 0614041204.
