New Award for Dignity: The Igor Kozlovsky Prize
The Ukrainian human rights organization “Center for Civil Liberties” (CCL) announces the launch of the Igor Kozlovsky Prize, to be awarded annually. This information was reported on the organization's official website.
The award aims to honor individuals, initiatives, campaigns, and communities that promote human dignity across various sectors, including culture, education, politics, business, media, military, science, and more.
“Sometimes we defend dignity without even calling it human rights protection - when we support others, speak the truth, advocate for justice, or simply refuse to turn a blind eye. At the Center for Civil Liberties, we refer to this as unrecognized human rights protection. The Igor Kozlovsky Prize celebrates such individuals - those whose actions make the world more humane,” states the prize website.
According to CCL, the purpose of the award is to demonstrate that human rights protection is not just the task of a narrow circle of specialists but a daily practice for every individual. The prize is awarded for specific contributions or achievements made during the current year.
A nominee can be an individual or a group, initiative, campaign, organization, or company of any ownership type - public, private, or governmental.
Anyone can submit a nomination through an online form. After that, the organizer processes the applications and forwards them to a jury composed of the head of the Center for Civil Liberties and four invited members. They select three finalists, from which the laureate is determined.
The award ceremony and announcement of the laureate will take place annually on December 10 - International Human Rights Day.
Who is Igor Kozlovsky
Igor Kozlovsky was a renowned Ukrainian scholar, religious studies expert, candidate of historical sciences, writer, and public figure. He was held captive by the militants of the “DPR” from January 27, 2016, until December 2017. Upon his return, he fought for the release of political prisoners, captives, and hostages.
A member of the National Society named after Shevchenko since 2019, he served as a senior research fellow in the Department of Religious Studies at the H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He was the president of the Center for Religious Studies and International Spiritual Relations, head of the Donetsk regional branch of the Ukrainian Association of Religious Scholars, president of the public organization “Discovery Center,” and vice president of the Ukrainian Center for Islamic Studies.
Sadly, Igor Kozlovsky passed away on September 6, 2023, in Kyiv.
