Programs, Grants & Prizes

LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE

The Lantos Human Rights Prize has been established by the Lantos Foundation to honor and bring attention to the often unsung heroes of the human rights movement. It will be awarded annually to raise awareness about human rights and the brave individuals who are committed to fighting for them throughout the world. It will also be awarded in an effort to draw attention to human rights issues around the globe — to alert the media and governments to the importance of making human rights a priority on equal footing with other policy decisions.

Qualifications for the Prize
The Lantos Human Rights Prize will be awarded on an annual basis to the individual or organization that best exemplifies the mission of the Lantos Foundation, namely to be a vital voice standing up for the values of decency, dignity, freedom, and justice in every corner of the world. The Foundation seeks to educate and advocate on behalf of the simple yet profound truth that we are indeed our brothers' keepers, and the recipient of the Lantos Prize will effectively put that truth into action by being actively engaged in the fight for worldwide human rights.

Recipient for 2009
Winner of the First Inaugural Lantos Human Rights Prize:
The 2009 Recipient of the Lantos Human Rights Prize is His Holiness the Dalai Lama (see Press Release)

Public Impact of the Lantos Prize
The Lantos Foundation hopes to use this prize as a means to communicate the importance of human rights issues and educate the general public about the significance of preserving human rights for all peoples of the world. The annual announcement and celebration of the Lantos Prize recipient will also act as an opportunity to engage the public in a discussion about the pressing human rights issues of the day and inspire others to join the fight for global human rights.