Cyprus presence at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Awards to honor His All-Holiness Archbishop Bartholomew I for The Freedom of Worship Award
His All-Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, will receive the prestigious ‘Freedom of Worship Award’ at the Four Freedoms Awards of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Foundation in The Netherlands on Saturday May 12, for His extraordinary efforts to promote religious freedom and human rights among Christians, Muslims and Jews.
The Ecumenical Patriarch is also recognized for His work for the protection of the environment for which he became known for 30 years as the ‘Green Patriarch’. His efforts to promote religious freedom and human rights, his initiatives to advance religious tolerance among the world’s religions, together with his work toward international peace have justly placed him at the forefront of global visionaries.
The other Four Freedoms laureates comprise of:
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, (International Four Freedoms Award) Union representative and President of Brazil from 2003-2010, who is honored for his extraordinary work on behalf of the people of Brazil;
Al Jazeera (Freedom of Speech and Expression Award), for its steadfast commitment to freedom of the press
Ela Ramesh Bhatt (Freedom from Want Awards), for her extraordinary efforts on behalf of some of the poorest and most oppressed women in India.
Hussain al-Shahristani (Freedom from Fear Award), Deputy Prime Minister for Energy in the Iraqi government, for his lifelong commitment to democratic values, and his extraordinary efforts to help transform his beloved nation of Iraq into a free, prosperous and stable democracy.
Her Majesty the Queen of The Netherlands and Prime Minister Mark Rutte will be present at this prestigious ceremony in Middelburg, which will be followed by lunch. Among the invitees are two Cypriots residing in the Netherlands, Dr. Michael Hadjitofi (one of the wise men for energy to Cyprus) and his wife Mrs. Tasoula Hadjitofi, of Walk of Truth known as an activist for the protection of cultural heritage.
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The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Awards
On January 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, proclaimed in his State of the Union that if democracy is to survive and flourish, people everywhere in the world are entitled to four human rights: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.
In order to keep the legacy of FDR alive, the Roosevelt Institute honors outstanding citizens who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to these ideals every year. The impressive ceremonies that mark the awarding of the Four Freedoms medals are held alternately in Hyde Park, New York and Middelburg, the Netherlands, where the Roosevelt Stichting, a private foundation, is responsible for organising the ceremony in the even-numbered years.
