Nansen Prize: Merkel comes to Geneva for the award
Merkel comes to Geneva for award
“We make it!” the ex-chancellor said in advance of the refugee crisis in 2015. She received many criticisms for her politics. She is now being honored by the United Nations refugee agency.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is presented with the Nansen Prize of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Geneva. This honors Merkel’s policy, especially towards Syrian refugees, as the UNHCR announced on Tuesday.
A few years ago, more than 1.2 million people fled to Germany from Syria, Iraq and other countries after the Chancellor decided to take them in. She was subsequently criticized for this policy, which some considered too generous.
“Angela Merkel has shown great moral and political courage,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. “She has stood firm against the conviction, fear and rejection,” Grandi added. The former head of government is also honored for her efforts to make it easier for refugees to participate in society.
Merkel comes to Geneva
The laureate will be present at the official ceremony in Geneva next Monday, but the award does not mean that Merkel can accept a mandate as ambassador for the UNHCR, a UN spokesman said.
Nominations can be made by the public or UNHCR staff by February of each year. A committee then selects the winner, who wins CHF 150,000. A representative of the Swiss government also sits on the committee because the Federal Council supports this award.
Firefighters for environmental protection
In addition to the prize for Merkel, several regional prizes are awarded, which are endowed with 50,000 US dollars. For Africa, UNHCR awards the Mbera Fire Service, which recruits volunteers from among the refugees in Mauritania. These put out over 100 fires and planted thousands of trees with the aim of preserving the ecosystem.
Vicenta Gonzalez receives the regional award for the Americas. She has been supporting displaced and vulnerable people for several years. Among other things, she founded a cocoa company to help refugees and women in the host communities in Costa Rica, including victims of domestic violence.
The NGO Meikswe Myanmar received the award for Asia/Pacific. It supports displaced people in Myanmar with emergency aid, education and health.
Help for Yazidi women
Iraqi gynecologist Nagham Hasan is honored for the Near and Middle East. He treated Yazidi women facing persecution, slavery and sexualized violence at the hands of Islamic State (IS) jihadists in what many UN actors saw as “genocide” against this population.
As the number of refugees and displaced people worldwide surpassed 100 million for the first time, Grandi also called on the public to recognize the “compassion” these individuals or groups have towards those who have been forced from their homes and countries to flee. He also praises the generosity of countries such as Turkey, Pakistan and Uganda, which have long been shown.
SDA
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