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Events >> The Democracy Award >> 2004 Democracy Award
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L to R: NED President Carl Gerhsman, Mara Polyakova, Senator Paul Sarbanes, Ludmilla Alekseeva, Arseny Roginsky, Alexei Simonov, Assistant Secretary of State Lorne Craner, NED Vice-Chair Thomas R. Donahue
NED TributeMore than a decade after the fall of communism in the Soviet Union, Russia has reached a momentous crossroads: It can move forward toward democracy, economic prosperity, and the rule of law; or it can move backward toward state domination of society and the economy, restrictions on basic freedoms, and deepening corruption and autocracy. The tension between these two different paths was plainly evident in President Vladimir Putin’s State of the Nation address two weeks ago when he called for Russia to become "a mature democracy" while simultaneously accusing independent organizations that defend human rights and democracy of "serving dubious.interests" and receiving foreign funding. Such organizations are the backbone of the democracy movement in Russia and the principal bulwark against the return of tyranny. Many of them are human rights organizations that protect basic freedoms and defend the most vulnerable population groups. Others are associations of independent journalists and organizations that both educate citizens about democracy and preserve the society’s memory of those who perished under communism. Still others are watchdog groups that promote transparency and government accountability; ecological organizations; independent research centers; election monitoring organizations; groups that provide independent information about the war in Chechnya; and many others. The NED honors the leaders of four such organizations:
Arseny Roginsky, the Chairman of the International Memorial Society that protects refugees and victims of political persecution in Chechnya and other zones of armed conflict in Russia, and also commemorates the millions who perished under Stalinism; Aleksei Simonov, the President of the Glasnost Defense Foundation, the principal Russian organization that defends freedom of the press, trains journalists to work in war zones and protects their rights; and Mara Polyakova, the Director of the Independent Council for Legal Expertise that mobilizes the best legal minds in the country to review and analyze legislation affecting basic rights and provides legal assistance in defense of these rights. June 9, 2004 Washington, D.C. The Democracy Award is given annually by the National Endowment for Democracy's Board of Directors to recognize the courageous and creative work of individuals and organizations that has advanced the cause of human rights and democracy around the world. For more information on the Democracy Award visit Past Democracy Award Recipients. |
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