April 6, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Rob Leikind
leikindr@ajc.org 617-457-8700
AJC New England Announces Nominations Open for Second Annual Co-Existence Award
(Boston, MA) April 6, 2017 – AJC New England is now accepting nominations for the 2017 Co-Existence Award. The Co-Existence Award was established last year and celebrates local leaders who have dedicated their lives to advancing a collective commitment to co-existence, and contribute to a more peaceful, pluralistic, and democratic world. Former Governor Deval Patrick was honored as the winner of the inaugural Co-Existence Award on November 14, 2016, at a reception attended by more than 200 people during AJC New England’s Annual Celebration.
About the Award
The struggle to advance co-existence among diverse peoples is one of the defining challenges of our time. Many societies lack a robust commitment to co-existence. Rights of minority peoples are diminished or ignored. Shocking violations of human rights occur with impunity. And, rampant persecution becomes common.
This is true not only in countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, but also in advanced democracies that struggle to accommodate their diverse communities. Europe is struggling with how to meet the complex challenge posed by the surge of immigrants from the war-torn Middle East. Across the U.S., including in our local community, racial tensions, antisemitism, Islamophobia, gender inequality and civil rights issues continue to surface.
As our world becomes smaller, it is increasingly evident that stability and security require that our communities reflect a strong commitment to co-existence and a deeply rooted respect for the preservation of individual rights under the law. Developing such communities requires: attention to the laws of one’s community; care in the way we educate our children; thoughtful efforts to advance intergroup and interfaith relations; courageous political advocacy; an avid embrace of the responsibility to ensure tolerant, respectful, pluralistic communities; and recognition that the results of one’s work may not be visible in one’s own lifetime.
Many people around the world have accepted this challenge and are working to secure a world where co-existence is prized. AJC New England created the Co-Existence Award to recognize such leaders in our community and highlight their good work, so that we can all learn from them and be inspired to follow their example.
Each year, AJC New England plans to select one or more individuals from a set of nominees resulting from a broad community input process with candidates evaluated and winners selected by AJC leadership.
Nominations for the 2017 AJC New England Co-Existence Award will be accepted through April 30. Guidelines and the nomination form may be found at www.ajcnewengland.org/coexistenceaward.
For more information, contact AJC New England at 617-457-8700; newengland@ajc.org.
About AJC New England
AJC New England is the local gateway to AJC’s global advocacy network. With a network of over 30 offices in the U.S. and around the world, AJC safeguards the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, while promoting human rights and democratic values for all. It achieves these purposes through high-level diplomacy, strong legislative advocacy, and effective interreligious and interethnic outreach.
