Tashkent, December 19 (QNA) - Several winners of 7th edition of the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence (ACE) Award expressed their pride in receiving the award, which has gained prominent international recognition and aims to enhance the international community's awareness of the importance of combating corruption and supporting development issues worldwide. The winners commended the State of Qatar's efforts in eradicating corruption.
In statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the winners said that the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award, which was launched in 2016 to honor individuals and institutions from various parts of the world in celebration of the International Anti-Corruption Day, represents a significant addition to Qatar's continuous local, regional and international initiatives and efforts in supporting entities and international organizations involved in combating corruption.
They added that the Award's celebration of individuals with outstanding experiences and initiatives aimed at combating corruption in their societies and countries supports global efforts against corruption, noting the role of the Award in creating a research, literary, and scientific environment in the field of combating corruption and enhancing the rule of law around the world.
Dr. Dr. Suncana Roksandic of Croatia, the winner in the category of Academic Research and Education, stressed that this Award will empower her in her future research and educational journey in combating corruption. She expressed her pride in winning such an international award, which will motivate her to continue academic and research excellence.
She praised the regional and international efforts of the State of Qatar to eradicate corruption, which creates divisions within societies and hinders the progress and well-being of nations and people. She emphasized that the Award works towards raising the international community's awareness of the importance of combating corruption and supports development issues around the world.
Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award in the category of Academic Research and Education aims to fight corruption through various means, including research and education. Combating corruption can be more effective through understanding and studying the causes and factors that create and propagate corruption. This category seeks individuals and entities with research, publications, educational materials, and contributions that significantly increase knowledge and raise academic awareness about combating corruption.
In turn, Jose Ugaz of Peru, the winner in the category of Lifetime/Outstanding Achievement, said that Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award highlight the fight against corruption around the world, pointing out that corruption threatens the stability of societies, hampers developmental progress, and damages the resources and capabilities of people.
He emphasized the necessity of continuing the fight against corruption through strategic methodologies to reinforce transparency, integrity, law enforcement, and accountability. He noted that the Award celebration of individuals with outstanding experiences and initiatives aimed at combating corruption in their societies and countries is a culmination of international efforts against corruption. Moreover, the Award has gained significant global recognition for its role in creating a scholarly, literary, and scientific environment in combating corruption and enhancing the rule of law, he added.
The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award in the Lifetime/Outstanding Achievement category seeks to give recognition and support to those who spent a whole life of service to anti-corruption or who have distinguished contributions locally or internationally in preventing and combating corruption.
Shantanu Guha Rai of India, winner in the Safeguarding Sports from Corruption category, expressed his pride in receiving this prestigious international award. He affirmed that it would facilitate his task in uncovering corruption.
He explained that combating corruption is not an easy task and being honored with the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award will aid him in continuing the journey of exposing corruption and collaborating more extensively in this field.
As for Waihiga Mwaura, a journalist based in Kenya and the second winner in the Safeguarding Sports from Corruption category, he said that it was fantastic to be here. He added that he was learning a lot, and that he is looking forward to doing greater things in the future through investigative journalism.
The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award in the Safeguarding Sports from Corruption category seeks to celebrate those individuals and entities that have worked to safeguard sport against corruption locally and regionally, making a tangible impact in reducing the risks of corruption in sports.
Phil Mason of the United Kingdom, the winner of the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award in the Innovation/Investigative Journalism category, noted the State of Qatar's efforts in supporting initiative holders and activists in the field of combating corruption worldwide.
Mason said that being an anti-corruption practitioner can be a very lonely job, and that it's very rare to get recognition like this, adding that he was very pleased and humbled to be a recipient of this award.
Similarly, Clare Rewcastle Brown of the United Kingdom, who also won the Award in the Innovation/Investigative Journalism category, expressed her pride and gratitude for winning this prestigious award in recognition of her efforts in combating corruption.
Brown said that she was honored and grateful to have won it. She added that It was extremely important to people like herself who seek to expose corruption, that they get the kind of validation that this high level award offers on the international stage.
Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award in the Innovation/Investigative Journalism seeks to reward those who have created and developed the necessary tools to help in the fight against corruption, as the fight against corruption does not only need the will of an engaged sector of people and organizations but also requires tools to be able to combat corruption. This includes the development, and use of innovative solutions and approaches to anti-corruption action and the raising of awareness. Such solutions and approaches may involve innovative methodologies that will help those who wish to combat corruption in every way possible.
This category focuses on those who shine a light on the corruption that negatively impacts societies around the world through their journalistic endeavors. Sound and ethical investigative journalism plays a critical role in tackling corruption by exposing and documenting corruption and corrupt actors, laying the foundation for long-lasting change. This category recognizes those who have produced exceptional pieces of investigative journalism that have helped to uncover corruption at a local, national, regional, or even international level.
Damaris Aswa of Kenya, winner in the Youth Creativity and Engagement category, stressed that the Award serves as an inspiration for young people and local community leaders to continue their efforts in combating corruption globally.
Aswa said that the award means a lot to her, especially as a young person because it creates inspiration to herself and other young people out there, and especially grassroots community leaders who are doing incredible work to fight corruption around the world.
Representative of the All4Integrity organization, which was the winner in the Youth Creativity and Engagement category, expressed their joy for receiving the Award, citing it as a driving force for outstanding initiative holders in anti-corruption efforts worldwide.
They mentioned that their organization had a new youth project in education and was establishing schools to train and educate youth on reading, writing, anti-corruption, integrity, and ethics. Winning this prestigious award would significantly help expand their work in this field.
The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award in Youth Creativity and Engagement category focuses on the importance of involving younger generations, be it teenage youths, university students, or young professionals, in the fight against corruption, since the fight against corruption is not only something that must be done in the present but also a consideration for the future. This category seeks to recognize and encourage those projects designed and led by or for young people and, where applicable, supported by non-governmental organizations or civil society. (QNA)