The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has named five heroes of its 2021  Award 

ArmInfo.The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has named five Aurora 2021 heroes who have been recognized by the Selection Committee for their courage,  determination and impact.

According to the press service of the initiative, the names of 5  heroes were announced during a special event at the national  repository of ancient manuscripts Matenadaran.

In accordance with tradition, the names of the heroes of  "Aurora-2021" were inscribed in the Chronicle of "Aurora", a unique  manuscript of the XXI century, containing a description of the  activities of the Humanitarian Initiative "Aurora".

One of the heroes will become the winner of the Aurora Prize-2021 and  will have the opportunity to continue the relay of good, sharing the  award of $ 1 million with organizations that help those in need. The  heroes of" Aurora " - 2021 were:

Gregoire Ahongbonon (Ivory Coast), founder of the Saint Camille  Association, which helps people suffering from mental illness in West  Africa and seeks to end the inhumane local practice of keeping them  in chains. Ahongbonon has nominated three organizations that promote  international solidarity and support people with intellectual  disabilities and mental illnesses: CREDIL (Lanodier Regional  Committee for Education for International Development), L'Arche  Canada Foundation, and the Saint Camille Association.

Ruby Alba Castagno (Colombia), human rights activist and founder  ASOCATDAME (The Association of Farmers, Agricultural Workers, and  Environmentalists of Meta), which works to protect the rights of  thousands of Colombian farmers who are being persecuted, forcibly  disappeared, and displaced. Castagno has nominated three  organizations that advocate for the rights of peasant and poor  communities in Colombia: ASOCATDAME, the Norman Perez Bello Claretin  Corporation (CCNPB), and the National Federation of Agricultural  Trade Unions (FENSUAGRO).

Paul Farmer (USA), medical anthropologist, professor at Harvard  Medical School, co-founder and chief strategist of the international  NGO "Partners in Health" (Partners In Health), which helps to take  advantage of the achievements of modern medical science to those who  need it most. Dr. Farmer nominated two organizations that provide  health services to the world's poorest people and create a global  movement of educators and practitioners in the field of social  medicine: < Partners for Health> and Equal Health.  Julien Lusenge  (Democratic Republic of the Congo), human rights activist, co-founder  of Women's Solidarity for Integrated Peace and Development (SOFEPADI)  and the Congolese Women's Foundation (KWF), who has been helping  victims of sexual violence during the war for many years. Lusenge  nominated three organizations that support grassroots women's  organizations, empower victims of gender- based violence, and promote  the reintegration of internally displaced persons: the Foundation for  Congolese Women, the League of Congolese Solidarity, and the  Association of Mothers for Development and Peace.  Ashwak Moharram  (Yemen), a doctor who provides vital support to the starving  population of the city of Hodeidah, facing a humanitarian crisis as a  result of the conflict and the blockade. Dr. Moharram nominated two  organizations that protect the future of children and provide free  medical services to people affected by the ongoing conflict in Yemen:   Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders.  <The opportunity to  pay tribute to these outstanding men and women from all over the  world is a great honor for me. The heroes of Aurora 2021 are people  who truly believe in basic human rights and have dedicated their  lives to helping those who find themselves in difficult conditions.   We also honor them for the huge contribution that even one person can  make to the common cause, helping thousands and inspiring millions of  people, " said Lord Ara Darzi, Chairman of the Aurora Prize Selection  Committee.  <The exceptional achievements of the heroes of Aurora  2021 demonstrate their unwavering willingness to act in response to  the needs of the people around them. Aurora strongly believes in  humanity's ability to improve and save lives, and has developed the  concept of gratitude in action, which describes the human spirit that  can motivate us to do humanitarian work. The heroes we honor today  are a role model that the world needs more than ever, " said  Marguerite Barankits, founder of Maison Shalom and REMA Hospital and  winner of the first Aurora Prize.

At the last event, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative also officially  announced the opening of the reception of nominations for the Aurora  2022 Award and called on everyone to nominate inspiring candidates.   Earlier in the day, representatives of Aurora paid tribute to the  victims of the Armenian Genocide by attending a flower-laying  ceremony at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan, Armenia,  dedicated to the victims of the first genocide of the 20th century.

During the event, the participants also paid tribute to the great  scientist and philanthropist Vartan Gregorian, co-founder of the  Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and a member of the Aurora Prize  Selection Committee, who passed away a few days ago.