Four Freedoms Award

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The Four Freedoms Award is an annual award presented to those men and women who have "demonstrated" an achievement to the principles lined out in the Four freedoms speech president Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave to the US Congress on 6 January 1941. It is handed out in alternate years in New York by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and in Middelburg by the Roosevelt Stichting.

Contents

[edit] History

Franklin Delano Roosevelt headshot
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
State of the Union (Four Freedoms) (January 6, 1941)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt's January 6, 1941 State of the Union Address introducing the theme of the Four Freedoms (starting at 32:02)
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The awards were first presented in 1982 on the centenary of president Roosevelt's birth as well as the bicentenary of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Netherlands. The awards were founded to celebrate the four freedoms espoused by president Roosevelt in his speech:

  1. Freedom of speech
  2. Freedom of religion
  3. Freedom from want
  4. Freedom from fear

For each of the four freedoms an award was instituted, as well as a special Freedom award. In 1990, 1995, 2003 and 2004 there were also special awards.

In odd years the awards are presented to American citizens or institutions by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute in Hyde Park, New York. In even years the award ceremony is held in Middelburg and honours non-Americans.The choice for Middelburg was motivated by the suspected descendance of the family Roosevelt from Oud-Vossemeer in the municipality Tholen.

[edit] Recipients

[edit] Freedom Medal

[edit] Freedom of Speech

[edit] Freedom of Worship

Simon Wiesenthal

[edit] Freedom from Want

[edit] Freedom from Fear

[edit] Special presentations

[edit] Alternative Awards

The Four Freedoms Awards Zeeland, an initiative taken by Ariane van der Windt, Laura de Landgraaf and Brittany van der Does, three Roosevelt Academy students. As Eleanor Roosevelt stated "Where do human rights begin after all? In small places, close to home." and that is exactly what the Four Freedoms Zeeland will accomplish. Not only people working at an international level demonstrate great achievements according to the four freedoms speech, also smaller institutions and people at a local level make a difference.

By awarding them with the Local Four Freedoms award their work becomes known and respected, and will hopefully inspire people to join. The alternative awards were founded in 2008, and will be a bicentennial event that runs at the same years as the International Four Freedoms Awards, also in Middelburg, The Netherlands.

The recipients in 2008 were;

  • Freedom of speech: The posters of Goesje and Walchje, for voicing the opinion on the fusion of two hospitals.
  • Freedom of worship: Manifestation Nieuw Zout, for organizing events that combine different cultures and religions.
  • Freedom from want: Primary school 'Ravensteijn', for going the extra mile to make sure that the less unfortunate kids are taken care of.
  • Freedom from fear: Vluchtenlingenwerk Zeeland, for helping immigrants with so much more than legal issues.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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