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National Peace Corps Association > News > Polyglot > Nominations Open for Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award
Nominations Open for Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award
By Jonathan Pearson on Friday, November 16th, 2012
Harris Wofford presents the first Wofford Award at the 50th Anniversary celebrations in Washington in September 2011.
While the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) has several awards recognizing the achievements of the community of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), we realized we were overdue to honor outstanding leaders from the countries where we served.
That changed during last September’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Washington, with the first Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award. Named after the former Pennsylvania Senator and architect of the Peace Corps, the Wofford award will be presented annually to an outstanding global leader who grew up in a country where Peace Corps Volunteers served and whose life was influenced by the Peace Corps.
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 Wofford Award, which will be presented at the Peace Corps Connect – Boston on June 28 – 29, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Please visit NPCA’s awards page to check for any updates and further information about the Wofford award.
To nominate an individual for this award, please complete this form and send it along with a nomination letter and supporting materials to WoffordAward@peacecorpsconnect.org. Where applicable, you may submit original materials in a language other than English, but please include a translation into English. This will facilitate the review process.
All nomination materials must be received by Friday, February 1, 2013.
The Wofford Award is endowed through a generous gift from Atiku Abubakar, a businessman, philanthropist and former Vice President of Nigeria. Abubakar was the first recipient of the Award, which was presented at the Promise of the Peace Corps Gala in September 2011 . You can read more about Abubakar, his Peace Corps connection, and the American University of Nigeria here.
Download a promotional flyer for the Wofford Award.
My husband, Henry Scott, served as Deputy on the Staff of Peace Corps Ethiopia 1963-65, when Harris Wofford was Director there. The Wofford family were friends and mentors to our family while we were in Addis Ababa and again in Washington, DC where Henry Scott served in Peace Corps Washington 65-67. Harris has been tireless in his support of Peace Corps and Ethiopia and is most deserving of the award. On behalf of my family, the late Henry Scott and our three children, I would like to cast a vote for Harris.
Thanks for commenting Cynthia. We agree–Harris is an inspiration! Which is why this award was named for him, in his honor. However the ongoing purpose is to honor and spotlight *host country nationals* who have been touched by the Peace Corps experience. We welcome nominations from the Peace Corps community.
I unreservedly concur with Cynthia Scott……….I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing the Wofford family since Harris was President of Bryn Mawr College. Harris Wofford’s unending commitment to civil rights, citizens’ rights and public service deserves the highest recognition. I nominate Harris Wofford for the award and propose President Obama be requested to present it
Could you please post a link to information about the recipient of the first Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award in 2012, or clarify the link to this if it is already present?
Hi Sierra,
The first recipient of the Award was Atiku Abubakar, who received the award at the Promise of the Peace Corps Gala in 2011 and subsequently endowed the award. You can read about it here: “Peace Corps Celebrated in Style at The Promise of the Peace Corps Gala” (http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/2011/10/peace-corps-celebrated-in-style-at-the-promise-of-the-peace-corps-gala/)
You can read more about Atiku Abubukar’s Peace Corps connection and the American University of Nigeria here: NPCA President Speaks at American University of Nigeria Convocation(http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/2012/09/npca-president-speaks-at-american-university-of-nigeria-convocation/)