Celta Business

On behalf of the Director-General, I am pleased to invite your organization to
submit nominations for the eighth UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the
Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence (2011).

In 1995, at the proposal of Madanjeet Singh, the Indian artist, writer and diplomat
who participates actively in the Organization’s activities as a UNESCO Goodwill
Ambassador, and in recognition of his lifelong devotion to the causes of peace
and tolerance, the Executive Board unanimously created the UNESCOMadanjeet
Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence, thus
marking the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the 125th anniversary of the
birth of Mahatma Gandhi.

This biennial Prize is awarded to honour individuals, institutions and other entities
or non-governmental organizations that have made exceptional contributions and
demonstrated leadership in the promotion of tolerance and non-violence.

The name of the prizewinner will be announced in October 2011 through a
UNESCO press release that will be disseminated worldwide, and a dedicated
page on the UNESCO website. The 2011 award ceremony will be held at
UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 16 November 2011, on the occasion of the
International Day for Tolerance.

In accordance with the Statutes of the Prize, which were amended by the
Executive Board in 2010 (184 EX/Decision 35), nominations may be submitted to
me by Member States in consultation with their National Commissions, as well as
by non-governmental organizations and foundations maintaining official relations
with the Organization and active in a field covered by the Prize. Former laureates
of the Prize, qualified eminent personalities, as well as any suitable person or civil
society organization working for the advancement of a culture of peace, human
rights, non-violence and tolerance in the world also may nominate candidates
worthy of receiving this outstanding international distinction.

The nominees should be men, women, institutions or non-governmental
organizations that have distinguished themselves through particularly remarkable
initiatives extending over several years to promote the understanding and
solution of international or national problems in a spirit of tolerance and nonviolence,
namely by:

– directly carrying out an educational activity;

– implementing international, national, regional or local programmes aimed at
the promotion of tolerance and non-violence;

– mobilizing initiatives and/or means likely to contribute to the implementation
of such programmes;

– producing teaching materials or other special aids designed for the
development of programmes to teach tolerance and non-violence;

– undertaking, coordinating or encouraging research in those fields or fields
related to specific aspects of tolerance; and,

– conducting special surveys or launching original undertakings that have
made for significant development in the promotion of tolerance and nonviolence.

Please find enclosed the form for submitting nominations (Annex I) and a copy of
the Statutes of the Prize (Annex II).

The nomination form must be completed in either English or French. You are
kindly requested to return it, duly signed and stamped, and no later than
9 September 2011, directly to Ms Angela Melo, Secretary of the UNESCOMadanjeet
Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence in the
Division of Human Rights, Philosophy and Democracy of the Social and Human
Sciences Sector (UNESCO, 1 rue Miollis, 75732 Paris Cedex 15; tel.:
+33 1 45 68 38 17; fax: +33 1 45 68 57 26; e-mail: a.melo@unesco.org,
cc.: i.zoubenko-laplante@unesco.org).
The recommendation concerning the nominee, contained in paragraph 3 of the
nomination form, should be concise. Additional materials (publications, video,
audio and other teaching materials, etc.) may be attached to the nomination form.
They will be presented to the international jury and will remain at UNESCO.