The struggle for democracy in Burma will be a focus of NDI’s 2008 Democracy Awards Luncheon as the Institute honors two champions of that cause – Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Women’s League of Burma.

Christiane Amanpour, chief international correspondent for CNN, will serve as master of ceremonies at the Dec. 15 luncheon in Washington, D.C.

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Archbishop Tutu will receive the W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award, which is presented to an individual or organization that has demonstrated a sustained commitment to democracy and human rights. A Nobel Peace Prize winner for his leadership in addressing apartheid in South Africa, Archbishop Tutu is being honored for his global efforts on behalf of democracy since the 1992 democratic transition in South Africa, including his relentless advocacy for democracy in Burma and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the world's only imprisoned Nobel Laureate and the inspiring leader of Burma's non-violent democracy struggle.

Archbishop Tutu, who retired as archbishop of Cape Town in 1996, has been tireless and unfailing in his fight against oppression and injustice around the world. “If you are neutral in situations of injustice,” he has said, “you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” He has been particularly active in calling for worldwide action for democracy in countries such as Burma, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Palestine and South Africa. He currently chairs The Elders, a group of 12 senior statesmen that has worked to address issues of democracy and human rights in Burma, as well as Darfur and the Middle East.

The Women’s League of Burma (WLB), an umbrella organization of 12 women’s groups from different Burmese ethnic backgrounds, will receive the 4th annual Madeleine K. Albright Grant. Winners are selected from a competitive pool of applicants and receive $25,000 to support an initiative promoting women's participation in civic or political life.

The Women’s League will use the funds to allow 14 young women from Burma – currently enrolled in an intensive, six month training program at the WLB’s Emerging Women Leaders School in Thailand – to return to their ethnic communities within Burma and along the border areas. The women will then conduct two-week training sessions for other emerging women leaders that will address key concerns for their respective communities ranging from health and human trafficking to party engagement and local leadership.

Established in 1999 to support women’s empowerment and participation in the country’s democracy movement, the WLB has documented and reported on the status of women and human rights defenders in Burma. The organization continues to work with the United Nations and other organizations in calling for the immediate release of Ms. Suu Kyi.

Pictured above: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, recipient of the 2008 W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award.

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Published on October 28, 2008