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Contact: Jeffrey Buchanan (202) 463-7575 ext 241
buchanan@rfkmemorial.org

RFK Center Announces Annual Macpherson Laureate Prize

Washington, DC -- The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights (RFK Center) and Lori and Thomas Macpherson announced the creation of the Macpherson Laureate Prize, an annual award of $10,000 to be distributed yearly to the recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. The prize will be presented each year in late November to coincide with the RFK Memorial’s Human Rights Award Ceremony.

The Macpherson Laureate Prize will be supported through a trust created by Lori and Thomas Macpherson, senior partner of Macpherson Nintai Partners and a new member of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Board of Directors. The prize will support long-term human rights goals of the recipient through funding advocacy and capacity building projects developed jointly with the RFK Center.

"We are pleased and honored to support an organization such as the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights,” said the Macphersons. “Eternal vigilance is not just the price of liberty, but for all human rights and to be eternally vigilant requires support -- both moral and financial -- from all those who seek to promote and create conditions necessary for realizing these essential rights.”

“The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial is honored to partner with Lori and Thomas Macpherson to present the Macpherson Laureate Prize,” said Lynn Delaney, Executive Director of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial. “Thanks to their exemplary generosity in developing this fund, the RFK Center and our new Laureates will have much needed additional resources to continue developing cutting edge advocacy and legal projects in the pursuit of social justice.”

“We hope the creation of this award will inspire others to make similar investments in improving the quality of life for individuals who have been stripped of their voice, freedom and dignity. Robert Kennedy once said this was a generous country filled with love and compassion. We honor the RFK Human Rights Laureate of the past, present, and future for laboring to extend this vision around the world. We hope many will join us -- and the RFK Center-- on this journey of a lifetime," said Lori and Thomas.

The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights (RFK Center) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to advancing the human rights movement through innovative partnerships with courageous human rights defenders around the world who have been awarded with the RFK Human Rights Award. Every year the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award honors courageous grassroots human rights defenders. To date there have been 37 RFK Human Rights Laureates from 21 countries.

Source: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial (www.rfkmemorial.org)