Laureate 2020
Centre Résolution Conflits in Democratic Republic of Congo to receive
UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize 2020
UNESCO will award the 2020 edition of the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence to the nongovernmental Centre Résolution Conflits (Centre for Resolution of Conflicts - CRC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 15 October 2020.
The international Jury of the Prize recommended the CRC in recognition of its work for the defence of human rights, its “tireless [commitment to the] rescue of child soldiers from militia groups, and their rehabilitation and reintegration into their home communities. [CRC] also brings together communities from different tribes to live together in peace by conducting special training for this purpose.”
CRC negotiates and builds trust with militia leaders and builds trust with them over time while collaborating with child protection agencies. Thanks to the NGO, nearly 1,000 ex-child soldiers returned to peaceful life in their communities since 2011 reutnring to school or professional trainings. CRC alsoprovides them with psychosocial support to help them overcome trauma.
CRC also trains agricultural cooperatives to promote tolerance and build mutual understanding between different communities. It has provided 40 agricultural communities with training in new agricultural techniques, financial management and peaceful conflict resolution between 2014 and 2018, helping almost 2,000 people increase their income and learn to trust ex-combatants.
The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence is awarded every two years to individuals or institutions for their exceptional contributions to the promotion of tolerance and non-violence through the arts, education, culture, science and communication. The laureate will receive US$ 100,000.
2020 – Centre Résolution Conflits (Centre for Resolution of Conflicts - CRC, Democratic Republic of Congo)
2018 – Manon Barbeau (Canada) and The Coexist Initiative (Kenya)
2016 – Federal Research and Methodological Center for Tolerance Psychology and Education (Tolerance Center; Russian Federation)
2014 – Ibrahim Ag Idbaltanat (Mali)and Francisco Javier Estévez Valencia (Chile)
2011 – Anarkali Honaryar (Afghanistan) and Khaled Abu Awwad (Palestine)
2009 – François Houtart (Belgium) and Abdul Sattar Edhi (Pakistan)
2006 – Veerasingham Anandasangaree, President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF; Sri Lanka)
2004 – Taslima Nasreen, writer (Bangladesh)
2002 – Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar)
2000 – Pope Shenouda III, the head of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church (Egypt)
1998 – Narayan Desai, educator and peace activist of India (India) and Joint Action Committee for People's Rights of Pakistan (Pakistan)
1996 – Association of 32 non-governmental women’s organizations "Pro-femmes Twese Hamwe" (Rwanda)