People's Choice Peace and Human Rights Award |
Rita Khanchet Kallas: Winner of 2016 People's Choice Peace and Human Right Award
We are extremely pleased to announce Rita Khanchet Kallas as the recipient of the 2016 People’s Choice Peace and Human Rights Award. She landed in Calgary in December 2015, arriving with her husband and son as part of one of the first groups of Syrian refugees to arrive in the city. Despite coming from Syria which is devastated by civil war between different religious groups and sects, Rita rose above all and became a bridge to create trust and bring fractured groups together. Her family's struggle to make Canada their new home did not stop her from being an innovative community leader, entrepreneur and taking unprecedented initiatives to give back to Canada. Even though she worked as a Broadcast Engineer in a reputable television station in Syria, Rita had to be innovative to make a living in Canada. With the help of Syrian Refugee Support Group Calgary and Centre for New Comers, Rita started a small catering company called ‘Syrian Cuisine Made with Love’ which did not just introduce Syrian cuisine in Calgary but paved the way for many Syrian newcomers especially women to be business entrepreneurs making Rita the first Syrian newcomer to hold a business license from the City of Calgary. If these weren't enough, her leadership hit new heights when she mobilized Calgary's Syrian newcomers to help the victims of Fort McMurray's wildfire. Her family along with another fellow newcomer and the Syrian Refugee Support Group, was able to raise money from the Syrian newcomers all over Calgary. These newcomers had so little to start with but gave back tremendously seeing this leadership initiative and understanding and relating to what Fort Mc residents went through. This experience was very similar to their experience of losing everything to ashes and rubble and having to leave their home. A deep compassion for others is quite literally in Rita’s DNA. Her father, a volunteer with the Syrian Red Cross, was killed during a mortar attack in 2012 in Syria while he was running to help the injured. Rita’s dauntless spirit and passion for human rights make her a most deserving recipient of this year’s People’s Choice Award.
Join us in celebration on Saturday, October 22, from 4-6 pm at the Alex Community Food Centre 4920 17 Ave. SE.
RSVP to this free event: [email protected] ; 403 630 0338
Media Contact: Arthur Clark Phone: 403 282 4931; Email [email protected]
Join us in celebration on Saturday, October 22, from 4-6 pm at the Alex Community Food Centre 4920 17 Ave. SE.
RSVP to this free event: [email protected] ; 403 630 0338
Media Contact: Arthur Clark Phone: 403 282 4931; Email [email protected]
Why/how the People’s Choice Peace and Human Rights Award came about
The annual People’s Choice Peace and Human Rights Award was created in 2014 in response to a setback. This history reminds us of an important action principle: when something bad happens, we can use that setback as our call to action for something good, something which will counteract the harm done by the original negative event. Threats to healthy community and human well-being will not be taken lying down. They will evoke an active, constructive response with a lasting positive impact.
The members of the People’s Choice Peace and Human Rights Award organizing and award selection committee come from diverse backgrounds and each has our own, unique story to tell as to why we are advocates for human rights, freedom and social justice. We share the vision of being Calgary architects for peace and human rights and believe that annual ceremonies such as the People’s Choice Peace and Human Rights Award are an important way to recognize the warriors among us and to inspire others to step up and become warriors for peace, human rights and freedom.
Click here to see previous award recipients.
The members of the People’s Choice Peace and Human Rights Award organizing and award selection committee come from diverse backgrounds and each has our own, unique story to tell as to why we are advocates for human rights, freedom and social justice. We share the vision of being Calgary architects for peace and human rights and believe that annual ceremonies such as the People’s Choice Peace and Human Rights Award are an important way to recognize the warriors among us and to inspire others to step up and become warriors for peace, human rights and freedom.
Click here to see previous award recipients.
Selection committee and nomination process
Selection committee and nomination process
The selection committee for the Peace and Human Rights Award has been inspired by the vision of a global community and that our selection process should be informed by the need to create a new ethos, a new culture. It is within this context, then, that we will be looking at true community leaders and/or grassroots activists, especially those who might not typically have profiles in the media and/or corporate world. We discussed how change has come about in the past from people willing to risk their liberty, even lives, for human rights, freedom and social justice. So we would be willing to make an award to people who had been arrested, even jailed, for acts of peaceful civil disobedience. Furthermore, human rights/peace activism is broadly defined to include activists on the environmental front and indigenous rights activists.
After some discussion about whether we’d consider an award to somebody in Calgary who had done human rights/peace/social justice work in another country, though we would consider so, our focus will be on looking at how a nominee’s work has impacted our city. We also agreed the nominees had to be from the metropolitan Calgary area.
Nomination Procedure:
Selection Criteria:
The selection committee for the Peace and Human Rights Award has been inspired by the vision of a global community and that our selection process should be informed by the need to create a new ethos, a new culture. It is within this context, then, that we will be looking at true community leaders and/or grassroots activists, especially those who might not typically have profiles in the media and/or corporate world. We discussed how change has come about in the past from people willing to risk their liberty, even lives, for human rights, freedom and social justice. So we would be willing to make an award to people who had been arrested, even jailed, for acts of peaceful civil disobedience. Furthermore, human rights/peace activism is broadly defined to include activists on the environmental front and indigenous rights activists.
After some discussion about whether we’d consider an award to somebody in Calgary who had done human rights/peace/social justice work in another country, though we would consider so, our focus will be on looking at how a nominee’s work has impacted our city. We also agreed the nominees had to be from the metropolitan Calgary area.
Nomination Procedure:
- Deadline: September 1, 2017
- The nomination process is open to the public.
- A nominee may self-nominate.
- All nominations will be put forward to a committee and narrowed down by means of consensus.
- Once approved, the committee will contact each potential recipient according to the prioritized order.
- The final recipient will be named based on availability, and acceptance.
Selection Criteria:
- Nominees will have a proven track record of a sustained effort towards peace, social justice; human security and the integrity of the environment;
- Nominees will be alive and able to attend the award ceremony in person where they will give an acceptance address;
- Although the committee will entertain all nominations, none will move forward without considering potential sensitivities;
- The award is intended for one person, however the selection committee in its sole discretion could determine that exceptional circumstances merit joint nominations, or nominations of organizations;
- A nominee unwilling or unable to receive the prize will not be announced. The People’s Choice Peace and Human Rights Award organizing committee will announce the successful recipient no later than one month prior to the event.
Nomination Form
Copy and paste the form below in a Word document and submit it by email to Brian Seaman: [email protected].
Please make sure the form length does not exceed the two page limit.
Nominator
Name
Organization
Address
Phone
Email
Nominee:
Name
Organization
Address
Phone
Email
Short biography of the nominee:
Describe the nominee’s contributions to issues of peace, justice, human rights and the integrity of the environment:
Explain how the nominee’s contributions have made an impact on local and/or global advances for peace and human rights:
Please make sure the form length does not exceed the two page limit.
Nominator
Name
Organization
Address
Phone
Nominee:
Name
Organization
Address
Phone
Short biography of the nominee:
Describe the nominee’s contributions to issues of peace, justice, human rights and the integrity of the environment:
Explain how the nominee’s contributions have made an impact on local and/or global advances for peace and human rights: