On the occasion of the anniversary of International Human Rights Day (December 10), U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Andrew H. Schapiro presented on December 8 the Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award to Klára Kalibová, Director and founder of In IUSTITIA, for providing legal assistance to individuals exposed to hate violence.
“Klara facilitates these victims’ access to justice and possible compensation for damages incurred as a result of hate violence. She and past recipients of this award remind us by their actions that human rights are not merely lofty, abstract ideas. They are principles that demand action, and that, when put into action, create a safer, more democratic, and more prosperous world,” said Ambassador Schapiro during the ceremony.
More information on In IUSTITIA can be found here.
In 2004, the U.S. Embassy in Prague established the Alice Garrigue Masaryk Award to recognize persons and institutions in the Czech Republic who have made an exceptional and continuing contribution to the advancement of human rights in the country through the courageous promotion of social justice and defense of democratic liberties.
The award is presented annually and is named in honor of Alice Garrigue Masaryk, the pre-eminent Czech-American and founder of the Czechoslovak Red Cross, as a tribute to her devotion in combating social injustice and her personal courage in standing up for human rights. Alice G. Masaryk is among the great symbols of the history our two countries share, and exemplifies the Czech Republic’s long-standing commitment to human rights, including civic and political rights, at home and abroad.
Previous award winners include: Oldřich Kužílek, ROMEA organization, Czeslaw Walek, Anna Šabatová, David Ondráčka, Igor Blaževič, Lucie Sládková, Kumar Sri Vishwanathan, Jiří Kopal, and the weekly Respekt.
