Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award

Each year, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy confers the Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award on one individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the advancement of democracy and human rights through peaceful means in Asia. As the first national democracy assistance foundation in Asia, the TFD is committed to supporting courageous individuals and groups who build democracy, stand up for justice and defend human rights, especially those in our home region.

The Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award is presented to the laureate at a ceremony in Taipei on December 10th, International Human Rights Day. The Award consists of a sculpture and a US$100,000 grant to support the ongoing work of the laureate. The TFD also pledges to deepen its relationship with each Award laureate to help sustain and increase the impact of their work.

After an open call for nominations, the Award laureate is chosen by a rigorous review process that spans several months and adheres to strict principles of fairness and confidentiality. A preliminary board of domestic reviewers shortlists five candidates for the final review, which is then conducted by an international panel of distinguished experts.

Nominations are now open to the public and due by 30 June 2009. For more information, please write to award@taiwandemocracy.org.tw or call the TFD at +886-2-2708-0100 ext. 211.Nomination Form Word / PDF (click to download)

Selection Criteria and Review ProcessThe Taiwan Foundation for Democracy’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Guidelines for the Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award on 21 March 2006, pursuant to TFD’s Bylaws, and with the enthusiastic support of Chairman Wang Jin-pyng.

According to the Guidelines, nominees for the Award shall be individuals or institutions that have demonstrated outstanding leadership and made significant contributions to the advancement of democracy or to the improvement of human rights in the Asian region, regardless of race, religion, nationality, class, or gender. The nominees, as individuals or institutions, are selected based upon the following criteria:

- The nominee shall have made concrete and significant contributions to the advancement of democracy or human rights movements.
- The nominee shall have a high level of integrity that is respected by others and should possess a strong spirit of altruism.
- The nominee shall have made creative and unique contributions to foster the development of regional democracy or human rights protection.

Nominations are open to the public, and each nominee must be nominated in writing by at least two credible organizations or individuals from the field of democracy or human rights. The nomination form is available for download from the TFD’s website, and all pertinent documents must be received by the TFD no later than June 30 of each year.

The review of nominees includes two stages: preliminary review and final review. Preliminary review is conducted by a Preliminary Review Board (PRB), of which the TFD president presides as chair. Together with six experts from Taiwan, the PRB verifies the validity of the submitted information regarding the nominees’ qualifications and achievements, and shortlists five candidates for the final review.

Final review is conducted by a Final Review Board (FRB), of which the chairperson and president of the TFD are ex officio members, and the TFD chairperson presides as the chair. Five prominent international personages are invited to serve on the FRB and make the final selection of the Award laureate.

All members of both review boards shall abide by strict ethical standards and the principles of impartiality and confidentiality, and avoid conflict of interest. Review board members are not eligible to nominate candidates for the Award. The TFD’s Board of Trustees and employees are also not eligible for nomination.

Information regarding the nominees, review process, and all relevant information shall be kept strictly confidential.

Moreinfo: http://www.tfd.org.tw/english/HTML/ADHRA_2009_main.html