Today we celebrate both the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the start of 2011. To many, a new year signals a new beginning – a time during which we set our goals, and set out to better ourselves. To heroes like King, that means also bettering the lives of those around us, and having the courage to do so.
The Freedom From Fear Award is a new national award that will honor fifteen people who have committed extraordinary acts of courage on behalf of immigrants and refugees. The award is $5,000 cash.
Aquifer Media’s Will Coley made this cool video to explain the award. Check it out:
Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking co-recipients, Geri Mannion from the Carnegie Foundation and Taryn Higashi from Unbound Philanthropy, used their $10,000 reward and established, with the help of funds from a few other foundations, the Freedom From Fear Award. The name takes inspiration from Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “four freedoms” speech, in which he outlined the four essential freedoms:
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Freedom of speech and expression;
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Freedom of religion;
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Freedom from want; and
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Freedom from fear.
To learn more about the rules to enter, check out the frequently asked questions portion of the website here.
Note: nominations (and self-nominations) can be made by just about anyone – and there’s no minimum age requirement.
Good luck, and may you have courage!
