The 2011 Americas Awards

The 2011 Americas Award, an initiative of CIFAL Atlanta, was presented in a special ceremony on 6 October, 2011, at the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. More than one thousand national and local leaders from the thirty-four nations of the Americas were in attendance at the award ceremony, including Heads of State, trade delegates, academics, as well local and international non-governmental organizations. The ceremony was held within the framework of the Fifth Americas Competitiveness Forum.

The objective of the Americas Award is to honour the tangible progress made by distinguished public officials of the region, in regards to the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental stability; promoting economic development and partnerships. Awards were given to those individuals that displayed high quality Best Practices, maintaining the highest ethical standards, in each of the eight categories.

The President of the Dominican Republic, His Excellency Dr. Leonel Fernandez, was honoured with the Americas Award for Excellence in Public Service. Dr. Fernandez received the award for his strengthening of regional and international ties, as well as for public investments toward social spending, education and public health. His administration gave special attention to the most vulnerable populations through food programs. His leadership was recognized by Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon during the 66th General Assembly of the UN, for Dr. Fernandez’s assistance in the reconstruction of Haiti and for the promotion of a Global Pact Against Financial Speculation in future markets for food and oil.

Her Excellency Dr. Vanda Pignato, First Lady of El Salvador and the Presidential Secretary of Social Inclusion, was the recipient of the Americas Award given in recognition of the Promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. She spoke of how the award recognized the efforts of public officials such as her, to improve the lives of many, and of changing the lives of women through what she referred to as a “revolution of dignity”, fought not with weapons, but through public awareness and action.

The 2011 Americas Awards Laureates are as follows:

Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger: 
Honourable Mr. Alejandro Char, Mayor of Barranquilla, Colombia.

Achieving universal primary education:
Honourable Mr. Jose Fernando Gonzalez, Under Secretary of Basic Education, Security of Public Education of Mexico, Mexico.

Promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women:
Her Excellency Mrs. Vanda Pignato, First Lady, Presidential Secretary of social Inclusion, Republic of El Salvador.

Improvement of maternal health: 
Honourable Mrs. Sonia Conzalez, Minister of Health, Republic of Nicaragua.

Combating of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases:
Honourable Mr. Stephen A. Lashley, Ministry for Family, Culture, Sport and Youth, Barbados.

Ensuring environmental sustainability:
Honourable Mr. Omar Angel Perotti, Mayor of Rafaela, Argentina; Honourable Mr. Nelton Miguel Friedrich, Director, Binational Itaipu, Brazil.

Promotion of economic development and partnerships:
Honourable Mr. Daniel Olesker, Minister of Social Development, Republic of Uruguay; Honourable Mr. Jose Aurichio, Mayor, Sao Caetano do Sul, Brazil.