Freedom Award

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Update Template:Infobox award The International Rescue Committee (IRC) bestows its Freedom Award for extraordinary contributions to the cause of refugees and human freedom. According to the IRC, "The Freedom Award reveals the remarkable ability of an individual to shape history and change for the better a world moving toward freedom for all."<ref name=irc/>

The IRC was founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and made its first Freedom Award in 1957, to German politician Willy Brandt, who went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The following year, the award was presented to Winston Churchill, British prime minister during the Second World War, for his "dedicated and devoted service to the cause of human liberty".<ref name=churchill/> The first joint recipients of the award were Lane Kirkland and his wife Irena who won the prize in 1981.<ref name=first/> Lane was honored for his "long devotion to the cause of refugees" while Irena was described as "very much a human rights activist".<ref name=first/> Chinese dissidents Li Shuxian and Fang Lizhi were jointly honored in 1991;<ref name=irc/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> two American Presidents, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton took the prize as a pair in 2005, and film actress Angelina Jolie and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees High Commissioner António Guterres received the award together in 2007.<ref name=unhcr/>

Since the first award presentation in 1957, the IRC has made it to 46 recipients, 24 of which were American; the majority of awards have been to politicians. The 1995 presentation was made in absentia to Burmese pro-democracy campaigner and leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, Aung San Suu Kyi.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=un/> The 2011 award ceremony was held in New York City, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in November, where the presentation was made to the Brokaw family.<ref name=recent>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2012, John C. Whitehead received the prize for a second time, the only person to do so.<ref name=irc/>

Recipients

Year	Image	Recipient	Nationality	References
1957		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1958		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1959		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1960		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1965		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=lech/>
1966		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1967		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=albright/>
1969		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1970		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=albright/>
1975		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1976	—	Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1977		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=lech/>
1978	—	Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1979	—	Template:SortnameTemplate:Anchor[A]	Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1981		Template:Sortname Irena Kirkland	Template:Flag Template:Flag	<ref name=first/>
1987		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=lech/>
1987		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1989		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag Template:Flag Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1989		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1990		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1991	—	Template:Sortname and his wife Li Shuxian	Template:Flag Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1991		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1992		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=albright/>
1993		Template:SortnameTemplate:Anchor[B]	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1993	—	Template:SortnameTemplate:Anchor[C]	Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1994	—	Template:SortnameTemplate:Anchor[B]	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1994	—	Template:SortnameTemplate:Anchor[C]	Template:Flag	<ref name=eightyfour/>
1995		Template:SortnameTemplate:Anchor[D]	Template:Flag	<ref name=un/>
1995		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=un/>
1995		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=irc/>
1997	—	Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=albright/>
1999		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2001		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2002	—	Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2002		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2003		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=un/>
2004		Template:SortnameTemplate:Anchor[B]	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2005	File:George H. W. Bush presidential portrait (cropped 2).jpg File:Bill Clinton.jpg	Template:Sortname Bill Clinton	Template:Flag Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2006	File:Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf detail 071024-D-9880W-027.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2007	File:António Guterres.jpg File:Angelina Jolie at Davos crop.jpg	Template:Sortname Angelina Jolie	Template:Flag Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2008	File:Kofi Annan.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2011	File:Tom Brokaw by David Shankbone.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	<ref name=recent/>
2012		Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2013		Template:SortnameTemplate:Anchor[B]	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2014		The humanitarian aid worker		<ref>Honoring the humanitarian aid worker Template:Webarchive, Rescue, 2014</ref>
2015		Shimon Peres	Template:Flag
2016		Spyros Galinos	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2017	File:Leopoldo Lopez 1.JPG	Template:Sortname	Template:Flag	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Notes

• A Template:Anchor^ Lord's award was made posthumously.<ref name=irc/>
• B Template:Anchor^ Distinguished Humanitarian Award<ref name=irc/>
• C Template:Anchor^ Distinguished Public Service Award<ref name=irc/>
• D Template:Anchor^ Special Freedom Award Recipient, in absentia<ref name=irc/>