France has awarded “Free Theatre” for fight
- 3.12.2007, 13:11
Belarusian “Free Theater” has been awarded Human Rights Award of the French Republic – 2007. The award is to be given to the Belarusians in the office of French Prime Minister on December 10, on Human Rights Day.
The Human Rights Award of the French Republic is awarded by the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH). It is given for applied projects irrespective of the nation and state borders. Annually the prize is given to 5 organizations or persons whose projects correspond to one of the two topics determined by a panel of judges.
This year the panel wanted to give the prize to actions held in the framework of the fight against fundamental human rights and rights of a person, and projects aimed at supporting and defense of the fundamental freedom, freedom of opinion, expression an information.
The laureates of the year 2007 are:
- The Belarusian “Free Theatre” represented by Nikalay Khalezin and a journalist and human rights activist Natalya Kalyada. The theatre has realized plays promoting freedom of expression. The activities of the “Free Theatre” demonstrate persistence and firmness of these artists in the face of threats and intimidation experienced by human rights watchdogs.
- Three Chinese lawyers are symbolic figures of human rights movement. Thanks to their determined activities aimed at promotion of freedom of expression, free exchange of information, these lawyers play an active part in development of the civil society in China.
- Cairo Institute of Research in Human Rights Sphere develops a project called “cultural dimension of freedom of expression in the Mediterranean region”. Through organizing colloquiums and forums, it aims at respect of freedom of expression, and at development of its activities in the Egyptian society and Arab world.
- The Association “United children of Africa and the world” fights against children trafficking in Benin municipality Bopa. Its activities are aimed at attracting attention of families to re-adaptation of affected children and to creation of a monitoring committee on Child’s rights.
- “Maurice Sixto House” in Haiti combats child slavery, a frequent occurrence in urban areas. About 30,000 children with poor and rural background are entrusting their children to city families as household servants in exchange for lodgings and education, and many of them are treated like regular slaves.
Mr Rama Yade the State Secretary in charge of foreign affairs and human rights, is to award the prize to 2007 laureates at a ceremony on December 10 in the office in quai d'Orsay.
Mr Joël Thoraval, National Consultative Commission on Human Rights’ chairman, reminds that “at the moment we are getting ready for celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 10th anniversary of the UN Declaration on human rights watchdogs, the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights welcomes courage of hundreds thousands of human rights activists all over the world exposed to danger as they energetically and with self-sacrifice work for promotion of human rights and all fundamental freedoms. We call upon effective mobilization of all those who are able to act in support of these people”.
“In fact, it’s A European acknowledgment of the fact that Belarusian artists, musicians, painters, writers have to work in conditions of censorship and employment ban. Undoubtedly, we are glad that French government and Prime Minister pay attention to the situation with freedom of artistic creativity and human rights in Belarus. We hope that it would become a signal which Belarusian regime would be able to understand, and we hope that it would be another guarantee that the European choice of the new Belarus is inevitable,” the director of the “Free Theatre” Natallya Kalyada told to the Charter’97 press-center.