White Crow Award for Courageous Civic Acts Presented for 17th Time

Bratislava, November 19 (TASR) - The White Crow Awards for civic courage and advocacy for socially beneficial activities were presented for the 17th time on Monday (November 18) evening, featuring four stories united by commitment to defending the highest values and democratic institutions. The White Crow Award recognises remarkable individuals who are willing to stand up for truth and justice and who have demonstrated civic courage through concrete action. The recipients for 2024 were selected by the White Crow council from nominations submitted to the award organisers. "The stories of this year's White Crows clearly show the importance of defending democratic pillars for the future of Slovakia, whether in the public or private sphere. They demonstrate various forms of this defence, be they from within institutions, from outside, or via civic or artistic activities," Zuzana Wienk, a member of the White Crow council, told the media. The first laureate was Milan Oleksak, a lifelong conservationist. Since autumn 2022, he's led the Slovensky Kras National Park through a process of zonation described by experts as exemplary. He received the award for his consistent defence of public institutions, his commitment to expertise, and his dedication to nature conservation, despite pressure from political forces. The second award-winning story concerned recognition of the rebellion held by journalists against interference in their work at television channel Markiza. Adel Ghannam, Michal Kovacic and Viktor Vincze were awarded for their consistent, substantive defence of journalistic freedom and integrity and for putting these values before their own personal interests. The third laureate was long-term prosecutor Michal Surek, who received the award in public recognition of his courage in prosecuting the most serious crimes. He pursued two bribery cases involving former special prosecutor Dusan Kovacik to court. The fourth laureate, visual artist Ilona Nemeth, received the award mainly for her consistent advocacy of artistic freedom. Her work has addressed topics such as the Holocaust, minorities and the situation in Hungary. In addition, she has been engaged in civil affairs, initiating a call for the dismissal of Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (an SNS nominee). tl/df/zel