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Goddess of Democracy:
Symbol of Democracy Around the Globe
The NED's Democracy Award is a small-scale replica of the Goddess of Democracy that was constructed in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China during the student movement for freedom and democracy in 1989. The original statue was created by art students from the Central Academy of Art in Beijing and by democracy demonstrators; it was unveiled in Tiananmen Square on May 30, 1989. During the government crackdown on June 4, the statue was destroyed by a tank-an unforgettable moment that was witnessed throughout the world.
San Francisco sculptor Thomas Marsh led a project to re-create a 10-foot bronze replica of the original Goddess of Democracy with the help of some Chinese students beginning in 1989. The bronze replica was unveiled in 1994 by Chinese dissidents and Representative Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco. Later, Marsh created smaller replicas of the statue to recognize those around the world who have made contributions to the movement for democracy.
In 1991 the National Endowment for Democracy began presenting the symbolic statuette as its annual Democracy Award.
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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.
Recipients
2009
José Daniel Ferrer García, Cuba
Jorge Luis García Pérez (Antúnez), Cuba
Iván Hernández Carrillo, Cuba
Librado Linares García, Cuba
Iris Tamara Pérez Aguilar, Cuba
2008
Zhang Jianhong (pen name, Li Hong), China
Li Baiguang, China
Li Heping, China
Teng Biao, China
Chen Guangcheng, China
Yao Fuxin, China
Hu Shigen, China
2007
Hisham Kassem, Egypt
Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), Venezuela
Kavi Chongkittavorn, Thailand
Anna Politkovskaya, Russia
2006
Zainab Bangura, Sierra Leone
Alfred Taban, Sudan
Immaculée Birhaheka, Democratic Republic of Congo
Reginald Matchaba-Hove, Zimbabwe
2005
Sakena Yacoobi, Mohammad Nasib, and Sarwar Hussaini, Afghanistan
2004
Ludmila Mikhailovna Alekseeva, Mara Fyodorovna Polyakova, Arseny Borisovich Roginsky, and Alexey Kirillovich Simonov, Russia
2003
An Hyuk, Kang Cheol-hwan, Soon Ok Lee, and Benjamin Yoon, North Korea
2002
Nadjet Bouda, Algeria
Mehrangiz Kar, Iran
Mariam Hussein Mohamed, Somalia
Muborak Tashpulatova, Uzbekistan
2001
President Vicente Fox Quesada, Mexico
2000
Natasa Kandic, Serbia
Veton Surroi, Kosovo
1999
Transition Monitoring Group, Nigeria
1998
Wei Jingsheng, China
Wang Dan, China
1997
Martin C.M. Lee, Hong Kong
1995
Sergio Aguayo Quezada, Mexico
Monique Mujawamariya, Rwanda
Elena Bonner, Russia
Sergei Kovalev, Russia
1993
Han Dongfang, China
Gitobu Imanyara, Kenya
Vesna Pesic, Serbia
1991
Violeta Chamorro, Nicaragua
Vaclav Havel, Czech & Slovak Federative Republic
1989
Monica Jimenez de Barros, Chile
Jacek Kuron, Poland
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