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Reporters Without Borders to Receive Award for Institutional Excellence at 2008 Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala

AAI
Posted on Monday April 7, 2008

Rami Khouri, Editor of Beirut-based Daily Star, to Present Award to Organization Founder Robert Menard

WASHINGTON – April 7, 2008 – The Arab American Institute (AAI) and Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF) will recognize Reporters Without Borders with the Award for Institutional Excellence at the 10th annual Kahlil Gibran “Spirit of Humanity” Awards gala on Wednesday, April 23 in Washington, D.C. The organization will be honored for its advocacy on behalf of journalists, as well as its support for freedom of the press worldwide. Daily Star editor Rami Khouri will present the award to Reporters Without Borders founder and Secretary-General Robert Menard, who will travel from Paris to attend the gala.

In some countries, a journalist can be thrown in prison for years for a single offending word or photo. Jailing or killing a journalist removes a vital witness to events and threatens the right of us all to be informed. Reporters Without Borders has fought for press freedom on a daily basis since it was founded in 1985.

Reporters Without Borders:

  • defends journalists and media assistants imprisoned or persecuted for doing their job and exposes the mistreatment and torture of them in many countries.
  • fights against censorship and laws that undermine press freedom.
  • gives financial aid each year to 100 or so journalists or media outlets in difficulty (to pay for lawyers, medical care and equipment) as well to the families of imprisoned journalists.
  • Works to improve the safety of journalists, especially those reporting in war zones.

The organization compiles and publishes an annual ranking of countries based on its assessment of their press freedom records. It also issues reports following fact-finding missions. It received the 2005 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought at the European Parliament and a special tribute at the News Emmy Awards ceremony in 2006 in New York.

The organization has become a leading advocate for Iraqi reporters. More than 200 media professionals have been killed in Iraq since March 2003. Dozens of journalists have been abducted. 15 are still missing. In the summer of 2007, when violence claimed the lives of at least five Iraqi journalists in one week, Reporters Without Borders called for the creation of a special task force to protect journalists. Iraqi authorities were urged to establish a special police unit to investigate the killings of journalists and organize awareness programs among Iraqi security forces and the public.

The Kahlil Gibran “Spirit of Humanity” Awards gala focuses attention on acts of leadership that promote the common good and features prominent leaders from the diplomatic, business, philanthropic, and government sectors. Past participants in the awards gala include former President Bill Clinton, Her Majesty Queen Noor al-Hussein, former President of Poland Lech Walesa, former Sen. George Mitchell, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former professional boxer Muhammad Ali, and recording star Sting.

Launched in 1999 by AAI and AAIF, the leading organizations in the promotion of the policy and community interests of Arab Americans, the Kahlil Gibran Awards gala celebrates its tenth annual in 2008.

Members of the press interested in covering the gala should contact Andy Sabino, AAI Public Affairs Coordinator, by email or at 202-429-9210, ext. 26.

WHAT: 10th Annual Kahlil Gibran “Spirit of Humanity” Awards gala

WHERE: JW Marriot Hotel
1331 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Reception begins at 5:30 p.m.
Gala dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.

RSVP: Andy Sabino, AAI Public Affairs Coordinator
202-429-9210, ext. 26

INFO: Visit http://www.aaiusa.org/foundation/kahlil-gibran-awards