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The sixteenth International Hrant Dink Award laureates were announced during the ceremony which took place on Sunday, September 15. The award is granted to Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation from Turkey for being one of the longest-standing women’s organisations in Turkey, with its efforts in enabling women to stand together and empower together, for being one of the strongest symbols of the feminist movement, for facilitating the intergenerational transfer of the feminist movement, and for relentlessly combating violence for decades. The award is also granted to Rugiatu Neneh Turay from Sierra Leone for her efforts to transform a deep-seated tradition in Sierra Leone, though facing public reaction, including from her family members and community leaders and succeeding in organising women and girls despite all obstacles and for her courageous struggle spanning years against female gender mutilation of women and girls.
The award ceremony was narrated by Nezaket Erden and Hakan Emre Ünal. Mahir Günşiray and Eric Nazarian took part in the ceremony with their voice overs. The ceremony was held at Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. The President of the Foundation Rakel Dink greeted the audience with the words “The only way to break this spiral is to distance ourselves from all policies that preach violence, to be vigilant against these discourses, to defend the right to life instead of violence, and pluralism instead of monism.” Please click here for the full text of Rakel Dink's speech.
The song ‘Bir Garip Hal’, by Lara Di Lara, accompanied by Kerem Can Dündar, was hosted by the 23.5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory. Vartan Harutyunyan also participated in the ceremony with a music performance ‘Boundless Fields’ which was recorded in our close neighbor Armenia. Peyk performed their acoustic pieces 'Köleler ve Kilitler' and 'Denizdeyim' live at the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall.
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