WIC AWARDS: 60 years of confidentiality
WFPL celebrates the 2nd World School Violence Expulsion Day
Awards Ceremony: Press Conference Hall, 19th Floor, Korea Press Center, Wednesday, January 8, 2020
WORLD FEDERATION OF POWER LEADERS(LEE SAN HA, CEO of WFPL) (www.wfple.org) announced the final winners of nine categories of the 3rd WIC AWARDS.
◇3rd WIC AWARDS Winners: 9 Categories
The 3rd WIC AWARDS winners are:
-In the world peace category, nurses Marianne Stöger and Margaritha Pissarek of Austria were co-selected.
-Saudi Arabia's human rights activist Manal Al-Sharif was selected for human rights.
-The Norwegian University of Science and Technology was chosen for the environmental sector.
-Chairman Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest and his wife Nicola of Australia were selected in the economy.
-Dr. Hans Clevers of the Netherlands was selected for science.
-David Walentas of the USA was selected for education.
-Tej Kohli Cornea Institute of India was selected for the health sector.
-Kwami Williams, CEO of MoringaConnect in Ghana, was selected for social contribution.
-Japan's writer Murakami Haruki was selected for the cultural category.
LEE SAN HA, CEO of WORLD FEDERATION OF POWER LEADERS(WFPL) said, “WORLD FEDERATION OF POWER LEADERS (WFPL) has established 'WIC AWARDS (WORLD INNOVATIVE CONTRIBUTION AWARDS)' to realize the values of WFPL. "WIC AWARDS" annually selects and recognizes people who have contributed to world peace and human development as well as those who are influential in establishing good representations of the world by making outstanding achievements in various fields around the world. It is designed to contribute to creating a just and happy world by spreading their dedication all over the world. ”
Lee remarked, “WIC AWARDS is in its third year this year.” “WIC AWARDS winners have been dedicated to world peace, human rights, environment, economy, science, education and health throughout the world.” "Though different in their nationality and age, I hope that the innovative and devoted leadership of winners, being further recognized and widely known around the world through this WIC AWARDS, will be the cornerstone of ‘creating a world living together’.“
Especially, Lee mentioned, “WORLD FEDERATION OF POWER LEADERS has designated and proclaimed January 11th, the anniversary of the establishment of the WFPL, as 'World School Violence Expulsion Day.' ”WIC AWARDS ceremony being held to commemorate this day, we hope that students of the world will not suffer or be victimized by school violence. ”
◇ 3rd WIC AWARDS in World Peace: Nurses Marianne Stöger and Margaritha Pissarek of Austria
First of all, Austrian nurses Marianne and Margaritha, the winners of the World Peace Division, were co-selected in recognition of their efforts for world peace.
Marianne and Margaritha came to Sorokdo island in their youth and served for patients with Hansen's disease and their families for 40 years from the 1960s. At that time, medicine for Hansen's disease not sufficiently available in Korea, they made big efforts toward securing the supply of necessary medicine from their native country Austria.
Their service has also created an opportunity to rectify prejudice against Hansen's disease and to renew social awareness of the disease. They took care that their service would not bring about any trouble to others and sought to stick to this belief until their last day in Sorokdo island.
◇ 3rd WIC AWARDS in Human Rights: Human Rights Activist Manal Al-Sharif of Saudi Arabia
Manal al-Sharif, winner of the Human Rights Division, is a human rights activist in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, the only country where women were prohibited from driving, she led the Women 2 Drive campaign, which aimed to allow for women's right to drive.
Women were allowed to drive for the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia in June 2018 due to the Women 2 drive campaign, which led to the abolition of the ban on women's driving. Satisfied with the achievement, she is continously promoting the women's overall human rights movement, including political right, overseas emigration, and the liberty for women to open bank account.
◇ 3rd WIC AWARDS in Environment: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the environment winner, have studied the path of microplastics in the Arctic. Collecting and analysis of sediment samples on Greenland's beaches was made more in detail to reveal how the microplastics there were transported and distributed to the Arctic coast.
Fine plastics are referred to as plastics less than 5 mm in size, which accumulate in the body of animals through the ingestion of marine organisms and the food chains of higher predators, and eventually pose danger to humans as final predators. The study revealed that microplastics came from the Arctic coast and the North Atlantic, and suggested the necessity to make more thorough monitoring of marine plastic pollution and other endeavours together with coastal communities and governments to settle the issue of marine pollution.
◇ 3rd WIC AWARDS in Economy: Chairman Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest and his wife Nicola of Australia
Forrest, chairman and owner of the Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and his wife, Nicola, donated astronomical amount of money for cancer research, college and early childhood education, building of a strong community, creation of equal opportunities for Australians, and prevention of modern-style slaves, etc.
Forrest has been involved in voluntary work since 1994 and founded Fortescue in 2003. The company has grown to become Australia's third largest iron ore mining business group, following BHP and Rio Tinto.
While some big companies are accused of illegal activities such as tax avoidance committed in their business, Forrest has been doing charity for a long time, with interest in education, better treatment and employment of indigenous people. He humbly remarked that it was with luck that he was able to multiply his assets with his wife Nicola and make a donation.
Meanwhile, Forest's daughter Grace has also created and run the Walk-Free Foundation with the aim of ending modern slavery in 2012.
◇ 3rd WIC AWARDS in Science: Dr. Hans Clevers, The Netherlands
Dr. Hans Clevers, the winner of science, is a group leader at the Stem Cell Institute for Developmental Biology in the Netherlands, where he has made an adult stem cell research. Adult stem cells, which replace dead or damaged tissues in each tissue, have a narrower range of differentiation than embryonic stem cells, but have high stability and are relatively free from ethical issues.
In his study of intestinal cells, he first defined and revealed the role of adult stem cells, which were known only for their existence. He is working to isolate and culture adult stem cells from the prostate, liver, pancreas and kidney. It was confirmed that little genetic modification occurred in this culture environment.
◇ 3rd WIC AWARDS in Education: David Walentas, United States
hairman Walentas, an American real estate entrepreneur, barely made a living working on the farmland in childhood after his father suffered stroke. He was admitted to Virginia University on the scholarship of ROTC, paving the way for foundation of his business. From his experience of overcoming economic difficulties through schooling, he donated $ 100 million to the Jefferson Scholarship Foundation of his alma mater Virginia University.
He evaluated that the education has played a bridging role to provide the opportunity to meet with people from diverse walks of life who are intelligent, have leadership capabilities, and are involved in various occupations and the education can be a great coordinator to adjust social imbalance.
◇ 3rd WIC AWARDS in Health: Tej Kohli Cornea Institute, India
The Tej Kohli Cornea Research Institute was established in December 2015 to address blindness caused by poverty. The vast majority of people with severe visual impairments, including blindness, live in the world's poorest countries. Of those, 14 million live in India. The Tej Kohli Cornea Research Institute provided free treatment for severely visually impaired people in rural areas of India and was able to transplant a total of 22,176 corneas.
The Institute also provided free eye care helpline, launched a training app to continuously evaluate corneal specialists, and worked on projects to connect teams of specialists with clinicians in the outback community.
◇ 3rd WIC AWARDS in Social Contribution: Kwami Williams, CEO of MoringaConnect in Ghana
Kwami Williams, CEO of MoringaConnect, has contributed to the relief of poverty for the poor peasants and to the solution of malnutrition in Ghana. In 2012 when he visited Ghana, he paid attention to the Moringa tree commonly found in Ghana as a means to the solution of the poverty and malnutrition of peasant farmers.
Above all, he increased his knowledge about Moringa tree from local farmers and learned that the Moringa tree is not only nature friendly, but also recovers soil and is of high nutritional value. He was devoted to the production of goods made of Moringa tree. By making processed and specialized products from the tree, not as raw materials, and thus creating added values, the foundation was laid for economic self-reliance and escape from poverty as well.
◇ 3rd WIC AWARDS in Cultury: Writer Murakami Haruki in Japan
Persons’ life is determined by their attitude and perspective in life. Haruki Murakami of Japan, culture winner, debuted in 1979 as a writer with the publication of his work, ‘Listen to the Song of the Wind’, which depicts modern urban life. His book ‘The Forest of Norway’, published in 1987, became a best-seller with more than 4.3 million copies of volumes one and two sold.
If his works of art before the 1990s explored occult and sensational personalized self, which is a scientifically unaccountable mythical and supernatural phenomena, thereafter he describes new perspectives and hopes in relationships with others.
◇ WIC AWARDS Winners: National and Regional Balance Principles
WIC AWARDS applies the principle of equitable regional representation to prevent winners from being selected from a particular country. In one country, only one winner can be selected, except for NGOs(Non-Governmental Organizations) that have branches in many countries around the world.
◇WIC AWARDS: 60 years of confidentiality
After the selection of the winner, a five-year grace period is set, and those who impair the value of the prize due to international scandal and other problems are excluded from the winners.
In particular, all the contents relating to the recommendation of candidates in the selection process of WIC AWARDS will remain confidential for 60years.
◇WIC Awards Ceremony, Press Conference Hall, 19th Floor, Korea Press Center, Wednesday, January 8, 2020
The 3RD WIC AWARDS ceremony will be held at the press conference hall on the 19th floor of the Korea Press Center at 2 pm Wednesday, January 8, 2020, when the 2nd World School Violence Expulsion Day is commemorated.
The event is co-hosted and organized by World Federation of Power Leaders and the World Press Association (WPA), a media organization affiliated with WORLD FEDERATION OF POWER LEADERS.
On the other hand, WORLD FEDERATION OF POWER LEADERS(WFPL) originates from the International Youth Institute (formerly the International Youth Research Institute, CEO LEE SAN-HA) established on January 11, 2007, and through the 17 metropolitan and provincial branches and the regional federations in Korea, and in cooperation with enthusiastic young talents, actively participates in solving the crisis arising from the structural conflicts in the society. It aims to orient toward ‘the living-together world’ where the socially weak are not neglected and the culture of participation and communication is widely spread.
WFPL have established affiliated media organizations, research institutions, WORLD FEDERATION SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION (in the process of being estalblished) and special organizations to realize the value that the Federation is pursuing.
The affiliated research institutions are: The Institute of International Environment and Policy Studies, the Institute of Global Economic Research, the Institute of World Health Research, the Institute of World Science and Technology, the Institute for Media Policy and Policy, the Institute for Global Environmental Studies, and the Institution of Unification Policy..
In particular, International Policy Institute (IPI), a WFPL-affiliated research institute, is a politically neutral non-profit organization. It carries out work such as making suggestion and proving services and appraisal for the efficient operation of public enterprises and other entities, and national policy, legislation and legislative activities.
In addition to its affiliated institutions, WFPL has a "Human Rights Organization" as a special organization and a "SVE (School Violence Expulsion) Movement Headquarters" within the human rights organization.
The SVE Movement Headquarters was inaugurated on December 19th, 2017(venue: international conference room 19th fl. Korea Press Center) to solve the school violence problem professionally.
SVE HQ has been giving the 'SVE SPECIAL AWARDS (Adult)' and 'KOREA STUDENT LEADER AWARDS(Children and Youth)', for the purpose of preventing or expelling school violence every year.
Along with this, the 10 million signature-seeking campaign for expulsion of school violence is to continue.