HUMANITARIAN AWARDS:Nominations are being invited for the 2012 Hugh O'Flaherty International Humanitarian Award to be presented in Killarney next November. Nominees may include an individual, a team or organisation involved in providing humanitarian services at home or overseas and may be proposed by anybody. The closing date for nominations is August 31st.
This is the fifth year the award has been presented in honour of Kerryman Msgr Hugh O’Flaherty, “The Pimpernel of the Vatican”, and colleagues in the Rome Escape Line who saved over 6,500 prisoners of war, Jews and citizens of Rome during the Nazi occupation.
The people of Killarney posthumously presented the award to Msgr O’Flaherty in November 2008. In 2009 the award was presented jointly to the Darfur-based Goal aid workers Sharon Commins and Hilda Kawuki, and in 2010 it went to Philippines-based Columban priest Fr Michael Sinnott. Last year the recipient was Trócaire’s regional director for Latin America Sally O’Neill.
Further details at www.hughoflaherty.com. – PATSY McGARRY