NDI to Honor Prime Minister Tsvangarai

PRIME MINISTER TSVANGIRAI OF ZIMBABWE, CHOCÓ WOMEN OF COLOMBIA TO RECEIVE AWARDS AT NDI 25TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER

WASHINGTON, DC – Two champions of democracy, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe and the Network of Chocó Women of Colombia, will be honored at the 25th anniversary celebration of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), which will be held here on Monday, May 10.

NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright will host the event, which will be held at 7 p.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St., NW.

The evening will also include the premiere of a film, “NDI’s First Quarter Century: Working for Democracy and Making Democracy Work,” that highlights the Institute’s history of supporting the efforts of political parties, civic groups, parliaments, elections and women’s groups in more than 100 countries.

Other participants in the program include Lord John Alderdice, former speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and Alejandro Toledo, former president of Peru.

Tsvangirai will receive the W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award for his tireless efforts to restore democracy, human rights and the rule of law to Zimbabwe. His commitment to peaceful political change has been unwavering despite assassination attempts, imprisonment and harassment. The award also recognizes the democratic aspirations of the Zimbabwean people. The Harriman Award, created in 1986, is awarded to individuals and organizations that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to democracy and human rights.

The Network of Chocó Women is an umbrella group representing 52 civil society organizations from 18 municipalities in the primarily Afro-Colombian region in the western part of Colombia. The region has the nation’s highest levels of poverty and illiteracy. The organization will receive a $25,000 grant to continue its work providing leadership training and advocacy for women’s rights. Nimia Teresa Vargas, co-founder of the group, will accept the award.

NDI is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide by promoting citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. More information about the dinner and about NDI is available at www.ndi.org.