Forum Awards
Each year InterAction acknowledges the contribution of individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the world's poor and most vulnerable people at our annual Forum. Awards to be presented are as follows:
Effective Assistance Photography Award
Each year, InterAction’s photography contest honors a photographer whose provocative photos focus on the incredible humanitarian and development work done in the field and illustrate innovative, effective and inspiring efforts in international relief and development.
Alissa Everett is an American photojournalist known for creating beautiful images in the world's most troubled areas, focusing on the humanity and dignity of people worldwide. Since 2003, she has covered conflicts in Darfur, Gaza, the West Bank, Pakistan and the DRC, as well as many travel features across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America. Alissa's photography has featured in many international magazines and publications, including, TIME, Stern, Reuters, Sunday Times of London, San Francisco Chronicle, Popular Photography and Traveler Overseas magazines. Her non-profit clients include, the Millennium Promise, Women's Refugee Commission, HEAL Africa and the World Food Program. She has received awards from the International Photography Awards, Gordon Parks Photography Foundation and Outdoor Photographer Magazine.
Alissa will recieve her award at the Networking Lunch on Monday, April 30 from 11:45 until 1:15 p.m.
Award for Excellence in International Reporting
InterAction’s annual Award for Excellence in International Reporting recognizes exemplary reporting by a U.S.-based journalist who has informed and educated American audiences about international development and/or humanitarian affairs. This year's winner:
Larisa Epatko is a reporter-producer for the foreign affairs beat at the Arlington, Va.-based PBS NewsHour. At the NewsHour, she helps produce broadcast segments and writes articles, crafts audio slide shows and edits video for the website. She also manages the World page (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/), which showcases the NewsHour's in-depth analysis of international news, and tweets for the beat (@NewsHourWorld). To get on-the-ground perspectives, Larisa has reported in places such as Iraq, South Korea, Haiti and South Sudan. She also works regularly with budding writers on producing stories for the NewsHour's website.
Larisa will recieve her award at the Lunceon Plenary on Tuesday, May 1 from 12:30 until 2:00 p.m.
Security Advisory Group’s Distinguished Achievement Award
The InterAction Security Advisory Group Distinguished Service Award is a vehicle for NGO Security Professionals to recognize exceptional performance by Non- Governmental Security Professionals – but particularly those who make a significant contribution to enhancing the ability of the NGO’s to better protect their personnel, assets, information, or operations overseas. This year's winner:
Afnan Aleem has worked for 12 years in the security sector. He has a great breadth of experience, including safety & security, disaster management, threat & vulnerability assessments, investigations, guard force management, executive protection, and trainings and community mobilization for protection of assets and personnel in conflict/ post-conflict regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which he acquired working with ICRC, the UN, Save the Children, Diplomatic Security State Department USA, AED and USAID.
Afnan has managed crises and provided guidance during critical situations such as kidnapping, ambush, IED attacks, internal and external fraud, widespread protests, mob attacks and evacuations. He conducts several training programs for national and international staff, including Hostile Surveillance Detection, Hostage Survival, First Aid, and Fire & Bomb drills. He supervised and motivated large and multicultural teams in complex environments, and integrates security as a crucial part of program functions.
Afnan will recieve his award at the Annual Gala Banquet, Tuesday May 1 from 7:30 until 9:30 p.m.
Disability Inclusion Award
The Disability Inclusion Award recognizes member agencies that have worked towards greater disability inclusion in programs and management and expanding leadership opportunities for people with disabilities. The award recognizes our own community’s innovative efforts to promote disability inclusion as a human rights issue. This year's winner:
World Vision has been selected to receive the 2012 Disability Inclusion Award for its long-term commitment that disability inclusion is a human rights issue. World Vision actively involves people with disabilities in the assessment, design, monitoring and evaluation of their work. For example, in its emergency response programs, disabled people’s organizations review service delivery plans to avoid discrimination. World Vision has created full-time disability coordinator and advisor positions to serve as focal points for disability inclusion in their headquarters and field offices. They provide disability equality training and resources to their staff, and ensure accessible facilities and communications in their programs. In addition, World Vision issued “Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities,” which supports all World Vision offices in the implementation of the organization’s commitment to the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and in all of its programs.
World Vision will recieve their award at the opening plenary, Monday April 30, 9:00 until 11:30 a.m.
Humanitarian Award
Each year InterAction recognizes an individual or individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in support of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the people they serve in the developing world. As our community’s national staff and national counterparts often must surmount significant obstacles in order to carry out their work effectively in their own home countries or regions, InterAction seeks to honor these individuals and their bravery and commitment to the most vulnerable populations in their own communities.
The award is meant to recognize individuals whose work reflects important leadership qualities such as courage, initiative, creativity, grace under pressure, personal integrity, personal sacrifice, and who have made significant contributions in the developing world in any of the following areas: disaster relief, human development, refugee assistance, civil society, equitable economic development, health, environment, education, population, or public policy. This year's winner:
Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe is an advocate, activist and practitioner for a holistic well-being of women and children in Myanmar. She is currently the Executive Director of Karen Women Action Group (KWAG), a Yangon-based local civil society organized engaged in capacity building and empowerment training for women in particular, and microfinance programs for families, education support for impoverished children, and emergency relief for disaster-affected communities in general. While working as a mid-level professional and community development supervisor at World Vision Myanmar, Naw Susanna actively volunteered at KWAG. With the passion to work more closely with the grassroots and the desire to serve as a voice for the underrepresented poor and women, Naw Susanna has devoted her work full time to KWAG since 2010.
In addition to her work with KWAG, Naw Susanna is the chair of Women Organization’s Network of Myanmar (WON), an umbrella group of 27 local women organizations. She is also a steering committee member of Women’s Protection Technical Working Group, a network of 50 organizations in Myanmar including UN agencies, international NGOs and CSOs collaborating on advocacy and government relation issues over the protection of women. Naw Susanna earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in zoology from Rangoon University in Myanmar, and also earned M.B.A. from Eastern University in the United States.
Susanna will recieve her award at the Annual Gala Banquet, Tuesday May 1 from 7:30 until 9:30 p.m.
Julia Vadala Taft Outstanding Leadership Award
The Julia Vadala Taft Outstanding Leadership Award honors outstanding and distinguished leaders in the community of U.S.-based international non-governmental organizations. The award celebrates the leadership of an individual within the U.S. international non-profit community whose career and vision has transcended their own organization, by raising the influence and profile of the U.S. NGO sector as a whole.
The Julia Vadala Taft award is named for a distinguished American humanitarian who served in a series of senior positions, including twice as President of InterAction, and celebrates the very best of who we are as a sector. Her leadership has and will continue to inspire many in the NGO community as she mobilized its members to curb poverty and relieve human suffering abroad. This year's winner:
Dr. Charlie MacCormack currently serves as executive chair of the Millennium Development Goal Health Alliance, executive-in-residence at Middlebury College, and as a senior fellow at InterAction. He is also president emeritus of Save the Children U.S., an independent nonprofit organization with programs in the United States and more than 50 countries. He served as president and CEO of Save the Children U.S. from 1993-2011. He has co-chaired both the Basic Education Coalition and the Campaign for Effective Global Leadership, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He was selected to participate on the Founding Committee of the United Nations University, and served as a member of the U.S. delegation to the 1997 World Food Summit and the 2002 General Assembly Special Session on Children. Dr. MacCormack was president of World Learning (formerly the Experiment in International Living) from 1977-1992, and was assistant to the dean of the International Fellows Program at Columbia University. Dr. MacCormack received his doctorate and master’s degree from Columbia University, and his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College. He was a National Science Foundation Fellow at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City and a Fulbright Fellow at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas.
Charlie will recieve his award at the Annual Gala Banquet, Tuesday May 1 from 7:30 until 9:30 p.m.
