The National Award for Outstanding Achievements in Human Rights Activity was conferred on Yelizaveta Glinka, executive director of the Spravedlivaya Pomoshch [Fair Aid] International Public Organisation, and the National Award for Outstanding Achievements in Charity Work was conferred on Alexander Tkachenko, general director of ANO Children’s Hospice.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin:
Good afternoon, friends,Link: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/53437
Today is the first time that we are presenting two new national awards: for outstanding achievements in human rights and charity work.
These awards have a very special nature. They recognise people who have dedicated their lives to helping others and never sought awards or honours for their work, but act simply at their heart’s prompting. This is the essence of charity and human rights work. The establishment of awards for outstanding services in these areas is a mark of the state and society’s respect for these people and for their selfless labour.
We see what people can achieve when they answer their heart’s call, and we see the significance for every one of us of examples that have tremendous moral force for millions of people.
Today, the values of humanism, compassion, and mercy garner ever more response from and unite our people. This is a further sign of our society’s positive and constructive development and civic maturity.
I note that the Commission that selected the candidacies for these national awards – it is the norm in such cases to have a selection commission doing this work – examined a long list of candidates nominated by various public organisations. I not only think but know for sure that the commission members had a difficult time in choosing the worthiest among the worthy.
Let me say a few words about our winners today.
The National Award for Outstanding Achievements in Human Rights Activity is conferred on Yelizaveta Glinka, or, as the public and the media often call her, Doctor Liza.
Yelizaveta Glinka is a familiar figure to hospital patients, people facing disaster, children in Donbass and in Syria. I would like to express once more my support for Ms Glinka’s position: medicines and medical equipment should never be subject to limits or restrictions of any sort because as a result, people end without even the most basic medical assistance, including during military conflicts, when the civilian population, and often children, to our great sorrow, suffer most of all. I believe strongly that we should put a stop to this situation and that we should reach a decision to this effect at the international level.
The National Award for Outstanding Achievements in Charity Work is conferred on Father Alexander, Alexander Tkachenko by his lay name.
Father Alexander oversees children’s hospices and puts his strength, life and faith into this labour of helping seriously ill children. I hope that the state authorities, civil society groups, and religious representatives throughout the country will lend their support to his initiatives.
Friends,
Today marks the birth of another great tradition that raises citizens’ missions of service to the summit of public and state recognition.
Let me stress that these awards for human rights and charity work have the same status as the national awards for achievements in science and culture that are presented on Russia’s Independence Day.
I want to express once more my sincere gratitude to the winners for their selfless service to people, their tireless labour and their generosity of spirit. I congratulate you. Thank you very much.
