2005: Fadela Amara, then chairwoman of the "Ni Putes Ni Soumises" (Neither Whores Nor Submissives) organisation, today secretary of state in the French government and Job Cohen, mayor of Amsterdam.
Fadéla Amara
A French woman of Algerian origin, she has been campaigning - especially in the French banlieus - for emancipation, gender equality and a diverse society since 1980. She is the founder and president of the "Ni Putes, Ni Soumises" movement, an organisation that gives concrete form to her commitment to the multicultural society. In 2003, she wrote the bestseller "Ni Putes, Ni Soumises". She has already received several awards in France and Canada, including the Human Rights Prize (2003) and the "Prix International de laïcité" (2004). The recently launched Belgian branch of "Ni Putes, Ni Soumises" is organising its first awareness-raising campaign in December.
Job Cohen
Mayor of Amsterdam, was recently nominated by Time Magazine as a European Hero. This nomination is not only due to his unique approach to the unrest after the murder of Theo van Gogh, reconciling immigrants and natives, but also thanks to his long-standing pragmatic policy of dialogue and consensus-seeking to bring communities closer together.
(download pdf Award winner 2005 in dutch or french)
