AURORA PRIZE FOR AWAKENING HUMANITY

ARMENIA

WHO: Ruben Vardanyan, entrepreneur and former CEO of Troika Dialog

WHAT: Co-launched in 2016 by Russian magnate Ruben Vardanyan on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviours, the Aurora Prize is an annual international humanitarian award that recognises and expresses gratitude to “those courageous individuals or organisations that impact on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes.” It is backed by Vardanyan’s Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, an eight-year commitment (2015 to 2023, a century after the Armenian Genocide, which lasted from about 1915 to 1923) to promote global projects that strive to help those in need. It bestows a US$100,000 grant on its winners, as well as the opportunity for them to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organisations that have inspired their work for a US$1 million award.

The Aurora Prize’s eminent selection committee includes Nobel laureates Óscar Arias, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee; human rights activist Hina Jilani; Médecins Sans Frontières co-founder and former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner; former ambassadors, presidents and foreign ministers; and Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian George Clooney. The ceremony takes place in Armenia in June.