The Dan David Award, distributed in Israel, is one of the top international awards. Among the winners this year, who will share 3 million dollars between them: an organization called Journalists Without Borders, which works to promote and preserve the freedom of the press, Prof. Michael Ignatieff, president of the Central European University, from Budapest, who fought Orban's regime, Christina Figueres, one of the prominent leaders in the fight against climate change, and professors Sange Yi Subrahmanyam, and Kenneth Pomeranz, historians who "think a little differently"
The five winners of the Dan David International Prize have been announced. The award, given annually, will award three prizes worth $XNUMX million each to five winners. The fields in which the awards are given this year are: in the field of preserving democracy, Prof. Michael Ignatieff and the organization "Reporters Without Borders" won, in the field of the fight against climate change, Christiana Figueres won. In the field of macro-history (comprehensive history), Prof. Kenneth Pomeranz and Prof. Sanjay Subrahmanyam won.
Prof. Michael Ignatieff won the award for his ongoing contribution to the defense of democracy around the world, as a reporter, as a prominent defender of human rights, for being one of the first to warn of the renewed rise of ethnic nationalism and, in particular, for his leadership as president and rector of the Central European University in Budapest, and his courageous stand against the attempts to stifle academic freedom, freedom of expression and pluralism in his country (in December 2018 it was learned that the academic institution, one of the best in the world, founded by the billionaire George Soros, had to move to Vienna, after the government, led by Viktor Orban, did not allow it to continue operate on Hungarian soil).
The organization "Journalists Without Borders" has stood out in recent years as the main international organization that helps protect press freedom around the world. The organization monitors the policies of administrations and their treatment of the press and the media, and provides information, financial and moral support to journalists persecuted by their governments. Since its founding in 1985, the organization has helped more than 500 journalists, and in some cases even succeeded in preventing their incarceration and even releasing them from prison.
Christina Figueres won the award for her extraordinary leadership as chair of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which culminated in the Paris Agreement in 2015 and for her tireless efforts to ratify the agreement in 2016. This agreement, which expresses unprecedented international cooperation, was signed by 195 countries, and portends a significant chance of slowing global warming.
Prof. Kent Pomeranz is considered by many to be one of the architects of "world history" for his comprehensive work on the mutual effects of government, society and economy and on the relative development of different nations around the world. In particular, the selection team referred to his important book Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy (2000), which analyzes in depth the factors that led to the rapid industrial boom of Northwestern Europe starting at the end of the 18th century, compared to the countries of East Asia and the rest of the world .
Prof. Sanjay Subrahmanyam, a histrion of the world, is particularly prolific and original and focuses throughout his academic career on the encounters between Asians, Europeans and the inhabitants of the Americas - natives and conquerors - at the beginning of the modern period 1400-1800, at times when the ties between the inhabitants of four continents tightened. Subrahmanyam's work is unique in presenting a more complete and balanced picture than the presentation of many historians who present his point of view of the Western world.
The prestigious award, named after Dan David, an international businessman and philanthropist, who passed away several years ago, is awarded annually to people who have demonstrated special excellence and made an extraordinary contribution to humanity, in the fields of science, spirit, and art. The award, given in Israel, is currently among the top international awards and this is the 19th year it has been awarded.
According to Ariel David, son of Dan David, we are currently living at a very significant juncture in history, in which the economic, social and political systems that for years dominated the West, and in fact most of the world in recent centuries, are facing not easy challenges on all fronts. "The liberal democratic order is facing a wave of populism and regimes that ignore personal freedom and there are quite a few people who question the values that will 'maintain' freedom and democracy. Our economies push for inequality in the distribution of resources and the consumer societies in which we live continue to harm the environment and do not do enough to combat climate change. This year's Dan David Awards are all connected to this key moment in human history and they focus on the people who helped and help understand how we got to where we are and the people who are working diligently to offer solutions to the challenges of the hour.'
Past winners of the award include the cellist Yo Yo Ma, maestro Zubin Mehta, writers Amos Oz and A.B. Yehshea, former US Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the duo of filmmaker brothers Ethan and Joel Cohen, neuropsychologist Prof. Brenda Milner and Prof. Marie Claire King, one of the leaders in medical genetics research.
According to the tradition of the award, the winners donate 10% of the award money to 20 scholarships intended for young researchers at the doctoral and post-doctoral stages in Israel and around the world.
The announcement of the winners was made in Tel Aviv, by Prof. Yosef Klefter, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dan David Award and President of Tel Aviv University. The prizes will be awarded in a festive ceremony with the personal participation of the winners, personalities from Israel and the world in May 2019, at Tel Aviv University.
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Guardians of brain confusion and their personal stupid opinion Peres Ignoval