The National Democratic Institute (NDI) honored Senator Barbara Mikulski, D-MD, with its W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award for her decades of leadership advocating for democracy and the advancement of women and girls.
The award was presented by NDI Chairman and former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright at a May 12 luncheon highlighting the efforts of grassroots women’s organizations to promote the participation and leadership of women in politics.
“The Harriman Award is NDI’s highest honor that recognizes a select group of individuals and organizations from across the United States and abroad who have demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to democracy,” Albright said. “Senator Mikulski exemplifies NDI’s commitment to ensuring democracy is inclusive of all citizens.”
The W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award is presented annually to an individual or organization that has demonstrated a commitment to democracy and human rights.
Past recipients of the Award include: Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa; President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia; former Czech President Václav Havel; Varela Project leader Oswaldo Payá of Cuba; Burmese democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi; Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto; UN Secretary General Kofi Annan; the eight political party leaders who negotiated the Northern Ireland peace agreement; former United States Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; Vice President Walter Mondale; Senators Joseph Biden, Richard Lugar, George Mitchell and Edward Kennedy; and then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine K. Albright.
