Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika Receives Brave Foundation Peace Award
Prize Conferred by Former U.S. Officials to the "One of the World's Most Prodigious Peacemakers"
NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, the BRAVE Project named Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika the inaugural recipient of its annual Peace Prize for his role as a mediator of peace in his own country and across the Middle East and Africa. Former Members of Congress George Hochbrueckner (D-NY) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) conferred the honor on behalf of the Foundation.
The award recognized, among other achievements, Algeria's role in brokering a peace accord between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which ended the twenty-year war in July 2018. President Bouteflika has stood at the helm of other mediations between warring factions, including in Mali and Libya.
In 2002, Bouteflika put an end to the Algerian civil war by granting amnesty to those who had taken up arms against the government in return for a role in the political process. In doing so, he charted a new model of post-conflict reconstruction which has since been studied across the globe for its groundbreaking efficacy.
"We are excited to recognize President Bouteflika's contributions to regional and global peace, as a brave pioneer of inclusive post-conflict reconciliation," said Hochbrueckner, a BRAVE Trustee. "Bouteflika risked it all in pursuing an unprecedented model of peace, which brought all facets of society to the table. We hope that other leaders facing the Herculean task of bringing their nations out of a state of war will emulate his model of not only bringing an end to internecine violence, but also inculcating society-wide healing."
BRAVE was established in 2017 to promote awareness and social justice around the world. The organization organized a successful program to empower displaced children in Syrian refugee camps, including an auction of photos taken by the children supported by the actors Robert DeNiro and Vanessa Redgrave.
CONTACT: Susan Nelson, SusanN@bljworldwide.com
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/751120/BRAVE_Project_Logo.jpg
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/751174/BRAVE_Award.jpg
Share this article