The organizers of the 'Aurora' noted, the award was established on behalf of the Armenians who survived during the so-called 'genocide'. Today, the award is given to those who show determination, courage and will to solve vital problems and even save other lives in various parts of the world.
The Aurora Prize Selection Committee is co-chaired by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and Academy-award winning actor and humanitarian George Clooney, and includes Nobel Laureates Oscar Arias, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee; former President of Ireland Mary Robinson; human rights activist Hina Jilani; former Australian Foreign Minister and President Emeritus of the International Crisis Group Gareth Evans; and President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York Vartan Gregorian.
This time, annual event took place in Yerevan from 8 to 10 June. Leading philanthropists, scientists, humanitarian and state figures, human rights activists, journalists and businessmen from all over the world gathered in Yerevan on this occasion. One of the co-founders of the humanitarian initiative ‘Aurora’prize, Ruben Vardanyan said: "The initiative tells the world about the most tragedic crimes against humanity, wherever they occur, and honors those who try to solve humanitarian problems and change the situation for the better, despite the huge risk to their own life". One of the key events in 2018 was the Dialogues ‘Aurora’ - an international platform, where experts discuss the most pressing issues. The goal of the conference was an attempt to rethink the existing challenges, analyze the experience of the past and support innovative ways of solving humanitarian problems.
In 2016, the first Aurora Prize was awarded to the founder of the Shalom Home and the REMA Hospital in Burundi, Marguerite Barankitse for her dedication to help children. Last year, Armenian-originated French singer and composer, Charles Aznavour named the name of the laureate of the Aurora Prize.Dr. Tom Catena was the winner, who received $ 100,000 in appreciation for his work: Catena was honored for his courageous work as the first and only permanent medical doctor serving 750,000 people in Sudan’s war-torn, Nuba Mountains since 2008. In addition to the $ 100,000 donated to Dr. Caten for his efforts, $ 1 million was divided between his chosen organizations - the African Medical Mission Foundation (AMHF, USA), the Catholic Medical Mission Council (CMMB, USA) and the Aktion Canchanabury . In turn, these organizations will help to vulnerable people around the world. For us the only interesting fact from his biography is his trip to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan on June 6, 2018, as will be discussed in more detail below.
The winner of ‘Aurora’ Award this year was a lawyer from Myanmar Zhuo La Aung. He received the award as a token of gratitude for dedication to the struggle for the rights of the Rohingya people in Myanmar, including their right to education. Aung noted, he has already decided to give away most of the prize to three international organizations that provide medical assistance to refugees in Myanmar. These organizations are the British Doctors without Borders, the Malaysian Society for the Provision of Medical Assistance (Mercy Malaysia), and the American-Swiss organization of the International Catholic Commission on Migration.
So far, the award ceremony was organized only 3 times, but already managed to provoke a wave of criticism. Armenia is a poor country. And the prize fund is quite impressive by the standards of Armenia. For this reason, a group of critics has appeared, which opposes that money go to the pockets of certain people, and not be used for the revival of certain sectors of the Armenian economy.
In response to the above mentioned accusations against the prize, the co-founder of the ‘Aurora’, Vardan Gregorian shed light on the problem. "The idea of the ‘Aurora’ prize increased Armenia's recognition. We are surprised by the support that we receive from various countries and individual well-known personalities," he noted.
‘We are often criticized for not sending this money to implement certain projects in Armenia, but I want to say that millions of dollars are allocated to Armenia annually. The establishment of ‘Aurora’ prize raised Armenia’s recognition,’ Gregorian added.
Confirming the statement that his country lives on handouts from abroad, the co-founder of the Aurora also added that the issue of large sums of money to foreigners, instead of spending them for the needs of the Armenian population or sending them to the revival backward economy of the country, helps to actually corrupt these people. By giving large bribes to world celebrities in the framework of the Aurora Prize, the founders of the event receive support from those people who begin to promote pro-Armenian ideas, including the idea of ‘genocide’ and also territorial claims of Armenia to neighboring countries - Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia.
It is enough to remind the winner of the award, doctor Tom Caten. A year after receiving the award, Katen was invited to Armenia, where he visited Nagorno-Karabakh-the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Apart from that, the doctor also visited the monument to the so-called ‘Armenian Genocide’ paying tribute to the ‘victims’.
Indeed, ‘Aurora’ does not aim to promote the ideas of humanism, mutual assistance and all that the organizers say about from the high stands of the event. The real idea lies behind the bribery of people whose words are listened to, who are really fighting for a just cause. We should follow these people's statements against Turkey and accuse of these people for committing ‘genocide’, confirmation of territorial claims against Turkey, accusing it of the fact that the leadership of the Ottoman Empire allegedly expelled the Armenians from 1915-1923 with their ‘ historical ‘lands.
It is also followed by accusations against Azerbaijan. Bribed by the Armenians in the framework of the Aurora Prize, celebrities start issuing seizures of Azerbaijani lands for the ‘national liberation movement’ of Armenians, justifying the occupation of Nagorno Karabakh by fictitious Armenian statements.Besides, some of these people are also inviting Armenians to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
Armenia has considered all the details in this policy. So, upon the return to the homeland, the laureate of the prize begins to promote the so-called ‘genocide’ of the Armenian people, fighting for their rights and their lands, and persistently persecuted a cruel image of Turkish and Azerbaijani who prevented the Armenia from realizing ideals.
The Armenian side is ready to spend large amount of money on completely unconceivable projects, to bribe the powers of this world and celebrities in order to achieve the creation of the image of a Turkish-Azerbaijani bloodsucker, while its own population lives in poor social conditions. Well, as they say, we will not interfere with them. Let them continue paying their millions of dollars annually to foreigners, while other countries of the region will spend money on their own further development, economic growth and the welfare of their people. If the patient does not want to help himself, then no one will help him...
By Kerim Sultanov
More about: #Armenian-provocation
