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Selection Committee Member Joint Statement

Selection Committee Member Joint Statement

March 20, 2016- We, the members of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, are proud to announce the four finalists for the inaugural Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. 

The four candidates are:
  • Marguerite Barankitse, from Maison Shalom and REMA Hospital in Burundi, saved thousands of lives and cared for orphans and refugees during the years of civil war in Burundi. 
  • Dr. Tom Catena, the sole doctor at Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains in Sudan, who lives on the hospital’s grounds in order to be on call at all times despite threats of violence. 
  • Syeda Ghulam Fatima, the General Secretary of the group Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan, who has worked tirelessly to eradicate bonded labor, one of the last remaining forms of modern slavery, in Pakistan. 
  • Father Bernard Kinvi, a Catholic priest in Bossemptele, Central African Republic, who provided medical assistance and refuge to both sides of an armed conflict, establishing his mission as a safe haven for any and all who were injured, despite the violence that raged outside.  
These humanitarians have been carefully selected from an impressive group of nominees based on the exceptional impact their actions have made in preserving human life despite risks to their health, freedom, reputation or livelihood. We are proud to honor these extraordinary finalists and their commitment to living and acting on humanity’s deepest values. We believe that they best embody the spirit of the Aurora Prize. 
 
We would like to thank all nominators for their participation in this year’s selection process. We are very honored for the opportunity to recognize such inspiring humanitarians and their organizations.