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SURF Founder and Director, Mary Kayitesi-Blewitt, nominated for a Great Briton '05 Award
London – 5th December 2005
SURF Founder and Director, Mary Kayitesi-Blewitt, has been nominated for the Morgan Stanley Great Briton Award of 2005. Mary was named in the Campaigning category along with Jamie Oliver, for his ongoing campaign to improve school dinners, and Liz Longhurst, for her campaign against violent internet pornography. The winner of the category, one of seven categories each with a shortlist of three nominees, will be announced, along with the overall winner of the Award, at a special dinner at the Guildhall on 26th January 2006.
Mary Kayitesi-Blewitt, a British Citizen of Rwandan origin, founded SURF at the behest of survivors after losing 50 family members during the genocide in 1994. Her support for survivors started back in 1995 after returning to the UK from eight months working for the Ministry of Rehabilitation in Rwanda and in 1997 Mary formally established SURF to continue to aid, assist and support survivors in the UK and Rwanda too. She was honoured with a Woman of the Year Award by WOYLA last year, as well as being included in the Swiss Government’s 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 project.
On her nomination, Mary said: “By including my name as one of this incredible group, the shortlisting panel has recognised the importance of the work of the Survivors Fund to ensure the survivors, and victims, of the Rwandan genocide are never forgotten. But I feel that this nomination is not for me. It is in memory of the 1 million victims of the Rwandan genocide. And it is for all the survivors of the Rwandan genocide who have shown such strength in the face of adversity, who have survived against the odds and entrusted me with the only hope they have left: a better future. ”
In all there were thousands of nominations received by members of the public, who will get to decide the overall winner through phone and web votes as the Awards ceremony is to be broadcast on Classic FM. The Awards are sponsored by Morgan Stanley, in conjunction with the Daily Telegraph and the Commission for Racial Equality.
For further information see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/05/nbrit05.xml
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