Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, has been awarded this year's International Bridge Prize by the European City of Görlitz/Zgorzelec. The city announced that the Swiss woman had worked with "extraordinary commitment and great skill as a bridge-builder between conflicting parties, political camps, ideologies and religions".
In addition, Spoljaric Egger has publicly and effectively reminded political and military actors of their duty to give the protection of the civilian population the highest priority and called for humanitarian action. The award ceremony will take place on November 13 at the Kulturforum Görlitzer Synagoge. The laudatory speech will be given by Gerda Hasselfeldt, President of the German Red Cross.
Since 1993, the International Bridge Prize has been awarded to individuals who have made a significant and personal contribution to democratic development and understanding in Europe. The prize is endowed with 2,500 euros. Previous winners include the writer Herta Müller and her colleague Günter Grass, the architect Daniel Liebeskind and the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
