Honorary patronage:

Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to Poland
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Poland
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Poland

The Jury of the Sergio Vieira de Mello Prize

Following the initiative of the Villa Decius Association Sergio Vieira de Mello Prize was established in the year 2003 with an aim to promote democracy and tolerance, and to pay tribute to Sergio Vieira de Mello, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Prize is awarded for special merits in peaceful coexistence and cooperation of communities, religions and cultures.

The prize is awarded annually in two categories:

• a person
• a non-governmental organisation

The Prize is awarded by the Panel of Judges composed of the High Representatives of: the President of the Republic of Poland; Ambassador of Brazil to Poland; Ambassador of Sweden to Poland; UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Embassies and Consulates supporting the operation of the Villa Decius Association in matters related to human rights; Institute of National Remembrance in Poland; Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection in Poland; founders of the Prize; ZNAK Foundation; Villa Decius Association.

The Laureates are given a statuette by Andrzej Renes, a personal diploma and a cash award.

Laureates 2004:

• Tadeusz Mazowiecki
• One World Association

Laureates 2005

• Rev. Marian Żelazek (1918-2006)
• The Krzyżowa Foundation for European Understanding

Laureates 2006

• Alexandr Milinkevich
• The Jewish Culture Festival

Laureates 2007

• Maryna Hulia
• Magurycz Association

Laureates 2008

• Krystyna Pryjomko-Serafin - Laureate in the category "person"
• Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights - Laureate in the category "NGO"
• Shevah Weiss - Special Prize
• Michał Żejmis - Distinction of the Jury

Sergio Vieira de Mello
(1948-2003)

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1948, studied philosophy and humanistic studies at Pantheon Sorbonne University of Paris. Being still a student, he started to cooperate with the United Nations, to become fully involved in the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva. He participated in numerous humanitarian and peacekeeping actions incl. Bangladesh, the Sudan, Cyprus, Mozambique and Peru.

In 1981 he became Senior Political Advisor of UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon. In the period 1983-91, he was the Chief of the Cabinet of the High Commissioner, the Head of Regional Bureau of Asia and Oceania, and Head of Section of International Relations. In the years 1991-96 he also acted as a special envoy of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Cambodia.

In 1996 he was nominated the Assistant of the High Commissioner for Refugees of UN and in 1998 took his post in New York as the General Undersecretary for Humanitarian Actions. He frequently paid short visits with humanitarian missions to Kosovo and East Timor.

On September 12, 2002 he was nominated to the post of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In May 2003, acting as the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of United Nations, he went for a mission to Iraq. He was killed in bomb attack in Baghdad on 19 August 2003.

"Sergio" , as he was known by the scores of government officials, UN staff members, and others who considered him a good friend, was a remarkably effective international civil servant. As a result, he was asked by the United Nations to tackle some of the world's most complicated humanitarian and peacekeeping challenges. His track record of success was extraordinary, whether it was fashioning a refugee protection and resettlement scheme for Vietnamese refugees, overseeing the repatriation of 300,000 Cambodian refugees from Thailand , setting up a UN civil administration in Kosovo, or managing the political transition in East Timor . His assets included extraordinary intelligence and good judgment, graciousness and wit, and a profound dedication to the humanitarian principles that inform the UN Charter. He was the obvious choice to lead the UN effort in Iraq , to which he has given his life. (cf. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Tribute to Sergio)

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said there was "no-one we could less afford to spare [than Mr Vieira de Mello], or who would be more acutely missed throughout the UN system".

US Secretary of State Colin Powell called Mr Vieira de Mello "a hero who dedicated his life to helping people in danger". Mr Powell said: "Sergio never shirked the most difficult assignments... Where others saw obstacles or despair, he created options and solutions."

Hedayat Abdel-Nabi , president of the Geneva UN correspondents association, called Mr Vieira de Mello "the best of the best - a charismatic, brilliant character".

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Lee Jong-wook: "Throughout a long and impressive UN career, Sergio has served the people who needed him most with skill, compassion and good humour. This single act of terrorism deprives the Iraqi people, and people everywhere, of a great advocate and a fine man. He will be sorely missed,"

Cambodia 's King Norodom Sihanouk said Mr Vieira de Mello "helped and served the peoples of every country in the world, including Cambodia, with self-sacrifice, efficiency and limitless devotion and without seeking any personal gain or glory".

East Timor President Xanana Gusmao, whose country Mr Vieira de Mello helped steer to independence, said: "Our nation mourns the death of a unique and unforgettable friend"; "He fought tirelessly for democracy, human rights and sustainable justice for the people of East Timor".

Iraq 's Governing Council described the Brazilian diplomat as "a friend of the Iraqi people" and called for a monument to be named in his memory.

Andrzej Renes
   The author of the Sergio Vieira de Mello Prize statuette

Organiser:

Partners:

Strategic sponsor:

Founders:

This action is part of the regional campaign "1001 Actions for Dialogue" launched by the Anna Lindh Foundation the Dialogue between Cultures for the enhancement of peaceful coexistence and intercultural dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean area. The action was generated with the financial support of the Anna Lindh Foundation.

Zrealizowano ze środków Narodowego Centrum Kultury
w ramach programu operacyjnego Patriotyzm Jutra

Media partners:

Project manager

Katarzyna Kopeć - katko@villa.org.pl