Nominations for the 2015 ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism now open
July 11, 2014
Human Rights Project
In 2011, ALBA, in partnership with the Puffin Foundation, began a major new initiative: the ALBA/Puffin Human Rights Project (HRP), established to honor the International Brigades and all those who fought against fascism during the Spanish Civil War by connecting that legacy with international activist causes today, in particular the defense of human rights.
The project consists of two primary components: an annual ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism in the amount of $100,000, and an informal international network of allied organizations working in the area of human rights, historical memory, and the legacy of the International Brigades.
The ALBA Human Rights Project connects directly to the historical experiences, aspirations, and idealism of the Lincoln Brigade. In the years after the Spanish Civil War, many of the vets committed their lives to assisting political prisoners around the world—particularly in Spain and Latin America — aiding political refugees, advocating for social justice, actively defending imperiled democratic institutions, or mobilizing the arts for worthy activist causes. Recent developments in Spain, Latin America, the Arab world and elsewhere have focused world attention on the human rights issues associated with the legacies of dictatorships: the need for working through the violent past, recovering historical memory and honoring the rights of victims of repression. The annual ALBA/Puffin Human Rights Activism Award, which is intended to continue for a minimum of 10 years, aims to support this work and to keep it in the public eye.
The aging vets’ continued presence at the forefront of progressive causes never ceased to inspire younger generations of activists. Now that the vets have all but disappeared, the ALBA/Puffin Human Rights project seeks to honor the Lincoln Brigade’s legacy by extending it to the new human rights challenges of the 21st century.
The nomination call for the 2015 ALBA/Puffin Award is now open.
2015 ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism
About the Award:
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives and the Puffin Foundation invite nominations for the ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism. The Award is granted on an annual basis to individuals or organizations whose work has had an exceptionally positive impact on the advancement and/or defense of human rights.
The Activism Award was established in 2011 to honor the International Brigades and all those who fought against fascism during the Spanish Civil War by connecting that legacy with international activist causes today, in particular the defense of human rights.
The Award will be presented at an official ceremony in New York in the spring of 2015. A $100,000 cash award will be given to the laureate individual or organization to support his/her ongoing work in the area of Human Rights Activism.
How to Apply:
Please email complete nominations to , subject line: “ALBA-Puffin Award for HR Activism, 2015” by 31 August 2014. The application must include the following information:
Name of the individual(s) or organization to be nominated;
Nominee’s direct contact information including: email, address, telephone, and website (if applicable);
Name of the nominating individual(s) or organization;
Nominator’s direct contact information, website, etc.;
Justification for the nomination (300 words max.);
Brief explanation of how the the activism of the International Brigades serves as a model of inspiration for the nominee’s work (150 words max.).
The selection committee consists of a panel with representation from the Puffin Foundation, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives and an Honorary Committee.
Laureates from previous years:
First ALBA-Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism (2011): Laureate Judge Baltasar Garzón
Second ALBA-Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism (2012): Kate Doyle and Freddy Peccerelli
Third ALBA-Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism (2013): United We Dream
Fourth ALBA-Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism (2014): Bryan Stevenson