Sean Penn was presented with this year’s Peace Summit Award today for his work to rebuild and aid the victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, as well as his ongoing advocacy for peace and human rights protection worldwide. The Academy Award-winning actor, who is the Founder and CEO of J/P Haitian Relief Organization, was presented the award by Nobel Peace Laureate President Mikhail Gorbachev and Udo Janz in Chicago.
When accepting the award, Penn said he was “thrilled to receive this tribute and to represent it to the youth of Haiti, the strong women of Haiti and of the world. Tomorrow is a new day where cynicism is for cowards, and men of virtue and agency will be true heroes to their sons.”
Penn added that many people in his generation “know cowardice well, but not the youth, and not the women. And NEVER the Haitians. This is an extraordinary honor and an extraordinary moment on Earth. I’m very grateful.”
The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates is recognized worldwide as one of the most important annual events in peacemaking. The Summit, which attracts Nobel Peace Laureates and high-profile leaders and organizations around the world, is organized by the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. This is the first year the Summit was held in North America.
The 12th World Summit, themed “Speak Up, Speak Out for freedom and Rights,” is focusing on peace, human rights and youth involvement. The Summit will feature five former heads of state, including Russian President Gorbachev, Polish President Lech Walesa, South African President Prederik Willem de Klerk, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and American President Jimmy Carter, in six high-level panel discussions.
Written by: Karen Benardello
