2013 LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE RECIPIENT
HILLARY CLINTON
As an advocate, attorney, First Lady of the United States, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has served as a powerful champion for a range of issues from education to healthcare. She was awarded the Lantos Human Rights Prize in 2013 for her dedication to using her global platform to raise awareness of global human rights issues, particularly women’s rights.
In her 1995 speech to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, Clinton famously declared, “If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights, once and for all.” She boldly called out human rights violations around the globe, and the speech has come to be considered a key moment in the history of women’s empowerment and human rights. During her time in the Senate and while serving as Secretary of State, Clinton continued to be a powerful and passionate advocate for global human rights. In 2010, she notably raised the subject of internet freedom, holding governments accountable for their censorship of information and making a link between internet freedom and human rights.
The Prize ceremony was attended by diplomats, politicians, and activists from a variety of fields. Speakers included former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Lantos Foundation Board Member Tomicah Tillemann. Following her acceptance speech, Hillary Clinton honored the late South African President Nelson Mandela with a speech praising his extraordinary human rights accomplishments.
Links -
Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton To Be Named 2013 Lantos Prize Laureate
USA Today - Hillary Clinton recalls Mandela as a 'giant among us'
Politico - Hillary Clinton praises Nelson Mandela, picks up award
The Hill - Hillary Clinton: A lifetime of human rights advocacy
Hillary Clinton to receive yet another award (USA Today)