The time has come to submit your nominations for the 2009 Ridenhour Prizes!
Now entering its sixth year, the Ridenhour Prizes were established by The Nation Institute and The Fertel Foundation, in partnership with POGO, the Government Accountability Project, and the Fund for Constitutional Government, to “recognize those who persevere in acts of truth-telling that protect the public interest, promote social justice or illuminate a more just vision of society.”
They are currently accepting nominations for both the Truth-Telling Prize and the Book Prize.
The Truth-Telling Prize is “presented to a citizen, corporate or government whistleblower, investigative journalist, or organization for bringing a specific issue of social importance to the public's attention.” Last year's recipient was Matthew Diaz, a former JAG officer at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Diaz was sentenced to six months in prison for disclosing the names and serial numbers of 551 Guantanamo Bay prisoners, all of whom were entitled to judicial review as a means of challenging their incarceration, despite the efforts by many in the Pentagon to keep the list of names a secret.
The Book Prize “honors an outstanding work of social significance from the prior publishing year.” Last year's recipient was James D. Scurlock, author of Maxed Out: Hard Times in the Age of Easy Credit, a timely and disturbing account of the country's relationship to debt and the predatory lending practices of many banks and credit card companies.
Get your nominations in soon--the deadline is December 1st, 2008. And be sure to check back here for more information on the awards ceremony.
Click below to watch a tribute to Ron Ridenhour shown at least year's ceremony.
Comments