Marcelline Budza, an activist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Pakistani NGO Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell, and Svitlana Lukiyanchuk, a pediatrician-nephrologist from Ukraine – are this year’s winners of the prestigious Sérgio Vieira de Mello Award, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
On October 24, 2024, the Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, was presented for the 21st time at a gala ceremony at Villa Decius in Krakow.
This year, more a around 50 candidates were submitted for the Award. Among the nominees were individuals and organizations from different parts of the world working for peace, human rights and dialogue of religions and cultures. Representatives of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden in Poland, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Ombudsman for Civil Rights, the Mayor of the City of Cracow, the Consul General of the United States in Cracow, the ZNAK Publishing House, the Founders and Initiators of the Award, and the Chairman of the Board and Director of the Villa Decius Association took part in the work of the Jury.
By the decision of the Chapter, the 2024 Polish Sérgio Vieira de Mello Award goes to:
- in the “Person” category: Marcelline Budza
“Marcelline Budza is a modern feminist and human rights activist from the Democratic Republic of Congo who is actively working to empower women in a country plagued by civil war and corruption, dubbed the most dangerous place in the world for women. Inspired by her mother’s life story, she created Rebuild Women’s Hope, an organization that helps women take control of their own destinies. Thanks to her, women in the DRC can now make autonomous decisions, fight for their rights, develop their potential and become economically active members of their communities,” Ewelina Pytel, the Mayor’s Plenipotentiary for Equality Policy, said in her laudation.
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- In the “NGO” category: Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell AGHS Legal Aid Team.
“Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Team deserves special recognition because of its effective and creative linking of awareness-raising activities, promotion of respect for human rights, with the practical application of assistance to those in need who would not have the slightest chance to assert their rights. We would also like to pay tribute to the worthy successors of Asma Jahangir , the next generation of Pakistani activists who continue to inspire new leaders in many countries experiencing difficulties and obstacles. This is a universal value that goes far beyond Pakistan and South Asia. An appropriate response to the global challenges in this field and a reminder that the struggle for human rights is a constant effort and test of will for all of us.” – emphasized in his laudation Jan Sobczak, 1st Counselor in the Department of Global Affairs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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- Honorary Award: Svitlana Lukiyanchuk (in memoriam)
“Children are our future, and taking care of them is one of the most important and noble tasks we can undertake. Supporting their development, caring for them and ensuring their safety creates the foundation on which they can build a better world. Any commitment to the upbringing of the younger generations is an investment in our common future, full of hope and opportunity. Svitlana Lukiyanchuk sacrificed her life of only 30 years fulfilling her professional vocation, while standing on the side of democracy in the fight against authoritarian regimes – and in this ferocious struggle for the peaceful coexistence of future generations, based on dialogue and respect for the life of the other, she made the supreme sacrifice.” – Wieslaw Nowak, President of the ZUE S.A., Sponsor of the Award, said in his laudation.
The winners received a statuette by Andrzej Renes, a commemorative diploma and a financial award sponsored by Sponsor ZUE Group.
Honorary patronage of the Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was assumed by:
AMBASSADOR OF THE FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL TO POLAND
AMBASSADOR OF THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN IN POLAND HIGH COMMISSIONER
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEE AFFAIRS
MARCELLINE BUDZA, Democratic Republic of Congo
Marcelline Budza, an activist, feminist and human rights defender of Congolese nationality. GREW UP IN BUKAVU, DURING ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT PERIODS IN DRC HISTORY. IS is internationally known for its work against the socio-economic violence suffered by women in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, pursuing the mission: “To rebuild the hope of women is to build the hope of an entire nation.” Inspired by her mother, she decided to create an organization that would help women take control of their own destinies instead of accepting daily suffering, persecution, poverty and violations of their rights. She studied agronomy at the Evangelical University of Africa. After her studies, she founded the Rebuild Women’s Hope cooperative in 2013 and the foundation of the same name in 2021, and has since worked tirelessly to empower many women to regain their economic independence and become active participants in society and the economy.
Her work has been honored with numerous awards at the national and international level. In 2017, she received the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award from the Scottish government, the 2019 Human Rights Award from the French government, the 2020 Human Rights Award from the University of Oslo, and the “Prix d’Excellence” awarded by the DRC civil society. In the same year, she also received the Canadian Public Peace Award. In 2021, she was selected as one of 100 world leaders representing Africa at the SHE conference in Oslo, and in 2022 she was honored as Femme d’Afrique en Action TV5/MONDE.
ASMA JAHANGIR LEGAL AID CELL, Pakistan
The Legal Aid Group (AGHS) was founded in 1980 by four women lawyers, at the initiative of prominent activist, icon of the human rights movement, lawyer Asma Jahagir (1952-2018), recipient of the Pro Dignitate Humana award. AGHS is the largest provider of free legal aid in Punjab and the first such legal organization in Pakistan. It was established at a time when the Zia-ul-Haqa military regime introduced the harsh Hudood Law, restricting the rights of women and minorities. From its inception, AGHS, at the initiative of co-founder Asma Jahangir, offered free legal support to society’s most vulnerable groups: women, children, forced laborers, prisoners and religious minorities. Today, the organization continues Asma Jahagir’s legacy with projects for the rights of women, religious minorities and imprisoned people. AGHS was the first legal organization to speak out against so-called “honor killings,” among other things, in defense of victimized women and girls. The organization undertakes the defense of those accused of so-called blasphemy (punishable by death), those charged before military tribunals, victims of torture, arbitrary detention, and also represents the families of those “forcibly” disappeared, i.e. kidnapped for political reasons by the secret services. Its activists and staff have been victims of physical attacks, kidnappings and threats caused by raising uncomfortable issues of violations of the rights of women and religious minorities. In recent years, AGHS has also organized South Asia’s largest legal conference, the Asma Jahangir Conference, and has successfully handled numerous cases, including those involving women’s rights and anti-violence. Asma Jahangir’s Legal Aid Team has participated in more than 1,500 court cases annually, obtaining, among other things, 44 acquittals in cases that carried the death penalty or life imprisonment. In 2022 alone, nearly 300 defendants were released on bail thanks to the organization’s efforts. The number of beneficiaries of AGHS activities is approaching 45,000 people.
Currently, the organization has been headed since 2018 by Executive Director Nida Aly, a lawyer for the High Courts of Pakistan, who was a member of the board before Asma Jahangir’s death. It was she who received the Sérgio Vieira de Mello Award at Villa Decius on behalf of the AGHS organization.
HONORARY AWARD – SVITLANA LUKIYANCHUK, Ukraine [in memoriam].
Svitlana Lukiyanchuk worked as a pediatrician-nephrologist at the Ochmatdyt National Specialized Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. On July 8, 2024, during the Russian rocket attack on Kyiv, Svitlana Lukiyanchuk was on shift at Ochmatdyt Hospital. When the alarm sirens sounded, some of the children were moved to a shelter in the basement of the hospital, and some were still in the dialysis room. Lukiyanchuk stayed in the dialysis center, where five children were connected to dialyzers that could not be taken to the shelter. Despite the danger indicated by the earth tremors caused by the overflight and explosions of Russian rockets, Lukiyanchuk remained with the young patients to make sure life-saving dialysis could continue. Suddenly, one of the rockets hit the hospital, shattering the windows of the dialysis center and killing Svitlana Lukiyanchuk.
About the Award
Established in 2003 by the Villa Decius Association, the Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003) is awarded to individuals and non-governmental organizations for their efforts to protect and promote human rights and the peaceful coexistence and interaction of societies, religions and cultures. Past recipients of the Award include Tadeusz Mazowiecki (Poland), Alyaksandr Milinkevich (Belarus), Krystyna Pryjomko-Serafin (United Kingdom), Leyla Ynus (Azerbaijan), Pietro Bartolo (Italy), Basil Kerski (Poland), and Tamila Tasheva (Ukraine). Among those honored with the Sérgio Vieira de Mello Award were such institutions as: Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Poland), Memorial Association (Russian Federation), Halina Nieć Legal Aid Center (Poland), Foundation against Human Trafficking and Slavery (Poland), Interreligious Council of Albania (Albania), Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance “Amalipe” (Bulgaria), Polish Medical Bowl (Poland) or Center for the Defense of Human Rights “Spring” (Belarus), Center for Peace and Reconciliation in Glencree (Ireland).
Sérgio Vieira de Mello (1948-2003) – Brazilian diplomat. He was fluent in six languages. He received two doctorates in the humanities from the Sorbonne. During his decades of work at the UN, he held a number of offices, including: UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo, United Nations Administrator for East Timor, the office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003) and the office of UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Iraq. While holding this post, he was killed on August 19, 2003 in a bomb attack on the headquarters of the UN facility in Baghdad. All his life he worked for the protection of freedom and human rights, intercultural dialogue, combating terrorism and the refugee crisis, and upholding international law.
