Press Release
January 31, 2019

EU civil society and parliamentarians give Silver Rose Award to Hontiveros for social justice work

A European network of civil society organizations in cooperation with European Union (EU) parliamentarians bestowed its prestigious Silver Rose Award to Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros for her contributions to social justice and solidarity to progressive causes in the country.

SOLIDAR, a Belguim-based group working to advance global social justice, invited Hontiveros to receive the award at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on January 29, 2019.

Hontiveros received this year's Silver Rose Award, which celebrates the achievements of organizations and individuals "whose extraordinary struggles contribute greatly to social justice and solidarity."

SOLIDAR chose Senator Hontiveros for the award because of her significant contributions to civil society, as well as her work in social justice and solidarity.

A social activist with the Akbayan political party before serving in government, Hontiveros was elected to the Senate in 2016, where she has since emerged as a champion of healthcare and women's rights.

Her legislative achievements include the successful passing of the Mental Health Law (RA 11036), the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act (RA 11148), the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018 (RA 11166) and the Strengthened Anti-Hospital Deposit Law (RA 10932).

Hontiveros joins the ranks of the previous recipients of the award which include human rights activists, academics, and journalists from Africa, Asia and Europe. Former winners of the Silver Rose Awards include; Juan Somavia (2005), the former General Director of the International Labor Organization, the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (2006), Aminatou Haidar(2007), Western Sahara human rights defender, the Columbian Trade Union Federations (2010), Gunter Wallraff (2015), German author and undercover journalist, and many more.

"For me and for my party Akbayan, this Silver Rose is also a challenge to do more: to persevere, to organize, to remain committed to the values that define us, to continue speaking truth to power, to find hope amidst despair, and in the end to know that victory is within reach," Hontiveros said.

LINK: https://www.eu-events.eu/12369-solidar-silver-rose-2019-award-ceremony.html

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