By: Sanya Mansoor, Niagara Intern and Student at Northwestern
The Niagara Foundation is eagerly counting down the days until Sept. 16, 2013, the day of the eighth annual Peace & Dialogue Awards. The ceremony will take place at the University Club of Chicago from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Reserve a seat here!
The evening will celebrate everything Niagara stands for: leadership, virtue and true character. The 2013 Peace & Dialogue awards are sponsored by: Roosevelt University, Chicago Tribune, BNSF Railway, Mesirow Financial and Elmhurst College. The distinguished “Chicago River” sponsor for the Peace & Dialogue award ceremony is MPI Media Group.
Take a look at the Peace and Dialogue Awards Honorees through the years:
Both the sponsors and attendees of the Peace & Dialogue awards are part of a community who care about Chicago and the world beyond; more importantly, they have proven their dedication to peace and dialogue in their respective fields. We are especially proud to recognize three remarkable leaders as our honorees in 2013: Hon. Anne M. Burke, The City Club of Chicago and M. Cherif Bassiouni.
Hon. Anne M. Burke
Hon. Burke, Illinois Supreme Court Justice will receive the Niagara Commitment Award. Hon. Burke has dedicated her life to creating a better life for children and the disabled as a teacher, attorney, and founder of the Special Olympics. Her legal career has seen remarkable accomplishments, such as increased cooperation among law enforcement and social service agencies and strengthened child protection services.
Hon. Burke has been instilled with a fierce drive, one that was apparent even in her days as a PE teacher in 1968. That was when she became heavily involved in the creation of the first Special Olympics.
Hon. Burke was chosen to receive the Niagara Commitment Award for her commitment to public service. Her values of integrity fit right into place with ours. More importantly, her passion for justice and has translated into effective practical accomplishments Copyright: State of IL
The City Club of Chicago
The City Club of Chicago, represented by Chairman Paul Green, will receive the Niagara Community Service Award. The City Club of Chicago is a non-profit, non-partisan organization whose members include prominent business civic and government leaders in Chicago. They provide a platform, which is undoubtedly of service to the Chicago community at large. Since its inception in 1903, The City Club of Chicago has been at the forefront for incredible speeches, analyses and debates.
The organization’s relentless pursuit of meaningful dialogue has earned them an extraordinary reputation in the world of public affairs. Their forums have included high-profile speakers such as U.S. President Barack Obama, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Pat Quinn.
This Niagara Community Service Award recognizes the determined efforts of the City Club of Chicago to embrace one of Niagara’s most prized values: fostering dialogue and connections within the Chicago community.
M. Cherif Bassiouni
Dr. Bassiouni, Emeritus Professor of Law at the DePaul University School of Law, will receive the Niagara Fethullah Gülen Award. His collection of work and speeches reflect the teachings of Niagara’s honorary president, Fethullah Gülen. Gülen is strongly revered by the Niagara Foundation for his immense love of knowledge and religion, and his subsequent intellectual contributions.
Dr. Bassiouni has a plethora of experience in the world of foreign affairs, having served as an advisor to then Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat during the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty Negotiations. Dr. Bassiouni also recently served as Chair of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and is the Author of 24 books on International Criminal Law, Comparative Criminal Law, Human Rights, and U.S. Criminal Law.
Dr. Bassiouni was chosen to receive the Gülen Award on account of his extensive academic contributions to various crucial public and global affairs.