Bruno Kreisky Foundation

for Human Rights

1993 | 7th award

June 11th 1993
Hans-Czettel-Center in the chamber of labour, Vienna
Award Winners

The 7th award ceremony on June 11th 1993 was held in the Hans-Czettel- Center in the Chamber of Labour in Vienna. The Bruno Kreisky Prize for Human Rights was divided into a human rights award and a prize in recognition of merit. Alongside the themes which had been emphasized in previous years, the bloody conflicts which accompanied the break-up of Yugoslavia had especially come to the attention of the international jury. Simultaneously, the crimes of the military dictatorship in Nigeria were a central concern.

Prize winners and guests of honour at the award ceremony in 1993.

The human rights awards were bestowed upon Abe J. Nathan, the Israeli peace and human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi, the Nigerian human rights lawyer and opposition chief and Nicolae Gheorghe, a representative of the Roma and Sinti in Romania. Father Georg Sporschill, SJ, received the award for his engagement for street children in Bucharest, and Christine Hubka and Gertrud Hennefeld for their engagement for refugees in Austria. Another prize went to the indigenous people of Canela in Maranhão, Brazil, to support them in their long-running struggle for cultural and ethnic survival.

Tephot and Rarak, Chiefs of the Canela people, presenting traditional gifts of honour to UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali.

„The ideas and principles of democracy should not be limited to politics, but must pervade all areas of social life.“

Bruno Kreisky speaking at the Social Academy Austria, October 9th 1976.

Three prizes of recognition for special services drew attention to the terrible human rights situation in Yugoslavia as the country disintegrated: Kemal Kurspahic and Zlatko Dizdarevic, journalists from the newspaper Oslobodjenje Sarajevo, Tanja Petovar, Belgrade, and the Project for Croatian-Muslim-Serbian Dialogue in Vienna.

Axel Corti holds the laudatory speech in 1993,
Axel Corti giving his laudatory speech in 1993, on the right: Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali congratulating prize winner Melita Sunjic, representing the Croatian-Muslim-Serbian Dialogue.
UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali giving his address at the ceremony in the Austria Center Vienna.

Further prizes in recognition of special services went to Memorial, Russia, the German transplant surgeon Rudolf Pichlmayr, and Martha Kyrle for UNICEF Austria. The group SOS Mitmensch was also honoured for its consistent stand against racism and xenophobia in Austria.

A general speech on global human rights was given by UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali at a festive event at the Austria Center Vienna.