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United Nations Day and Global Citizen Awards

 

United Nations Day celebrates the UN's vital role in promoting peace, human rights, and sustainable development, while fostering global cooperation to address shared challenges.

 

The Global Citizen Awards recognize individuals and organizations empowering communities, especially vulnerable groups, and leading sustainable change aligned with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

2024 Awardees
​2024: Peace, Democracy, and Law

19th Annual Global Citizen Awardees

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  • The Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law at UC Berkeley
    For advancing education, legal research, advocacy, and solutions to global challenges like climate change, healthcare, and human rights, in partnership with the UN.

  • League of Women Voters of the Bay Area
    Providing nonpartisan voter education on candidates and issues and advocating for policies that advance democracy, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

  • Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
    For advocating for the rights of Black and Brown communities, advancing criminal justice reform, promoting restorative and racial justice, and supporting education and economic opportunities.

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center
    For transforming youth into leaders and advancing Dr. King's legacy through programs that promote racial justice, equality, nonviolence, civic participation, and community service. â€‹

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2023: Equality, Freedom & Justice 

18th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​

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  • CA Attorney General Rob Bonta
    For championing criminal justice reform, advocating for underserved communities, labor rights, and environmental protection, while holding corporations accountable.

  • Corrina Gould
    Co-Director of Sogorea Te' Land Trust, for her advocacy of Indigenous land sovereignty, environmental justice, and Native rights through grassroots activism and leadership with Indian People Organizing for Change and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan.

  • Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley
    For advancing human rights, legal justice, refugee rights, and gender equality, while supporting policy reform through advocacy, education, and partnerships.

  • Centro Legal de la Raza
    For providing immigration and family law services, advocating for the rights of low-income Latinx immigrants, and advancing civil rights and social justice.

  • The Greenlining Institute
    For advancing racial and economic justice through policy advocacy, focusing on economic opportunity, healthcare, environmental justice, education, and access to technology and finance.for communities of color.

  • MISSSEY
    Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting, and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth. For supporting sexually exploited youth through crisis intervention, counseling, and advocacy, empowering them to heal and achieve long-term stability and success.

  • Bay Area Legal Aid
    For providing essential free legal services to underserved communities, advocating for justice in housing, immigration, family law, consumer rights, health care, and public benefits. 

  • East Bay Sanctuary Covenant
    For providing legal, social services, and advocacy to refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers, helping them find safety and stability

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2022: Taking Action for Water

17th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​

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  • Sylvia Earle
    Founder, Mission Blue and Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, Inc. (DOER), for her leadership in ocean exploration, research, education, and advocacy to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

  • San Francisco Baykeeper
    For protecting and restoring the health of SF Bay's through water quality monitoring, environmental advocacy, and holding polluters accountable to ensure a cleaner, safer ecosystem for communities.

  • The Berkeley Water Center
    David Sedlak, Ph.D., Isha Ray, Ph.D., and Kristina Hill, PhD.. For their innovative research and solutions to global water challenges, while addressing local water sustainability, quality issues, environmental justice, and climate adaptation.

  • The Watershed Project
    For restoring and protecting SF Bay Area watersheds, improving water quality of rivers, creeks, and streams, and promoting environmental stewardship.

  • Save the Bay
    For protecting and restoring the SF Bay ecosystems through advocacy, community engagement, and environmental conservation efforts and partnerships

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2021: From COVID to a Better Future 

16th Annual Global Citizen Awardees

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  • East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD)
    For continuous and impactful contributions to all 17 SDGs since 1934. For providing access to outdoor spaces for physical and mental well-being during the pandemic, opening three new parks, and offering hundreds of online environmental science programs for schools.

  • Zoom Communications, Inc.
    For connecting people, enabling online medical consultations, and supporting education and remote work worldwide during the pandemic.

  • Abbott Labs, Inc.
    For advancing diagnostics, providing life-saving tests, and supporting global health efforts during the pandemic.

  • The Association of Bay Area Health Officials (ABAHO)
    For effectively coordinating regional health responses, providing vital public health support, and managing the pandemic’s impact in the Bay Area.

  • Issele Association of North America, Inc. (IANA)
    For supporting education, healthcare, and relief efforts in Nigeria during the pandemic.

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2020: Past, Present, Progress: Shaping Our Future Together

15th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​, United Nations 75th Anniversary

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  • Congresswoman Barbara Lee
    For her strong support of UN funding, advocacy for peace, justice, and human rights, and leadership in advancing SDG priorities, especially in global health, education, and sustainable development.

  • Stephen & Ayesha Curry
    Founders of The Curry Family Foundation and The Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, for their leadership in advancing SDGs in education, health, and recreation, and supporting UNA-USA’s malaria bed-net campaign in Africa.​

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2019: Climate Change: Global and Local Impacts 

14th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​

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  • Councilmember Cheryl Davila, Berkeley
    For her progressive legislative initiatives and leadership in fostering regional collaboration.

  • Dan Kammen, Ph.D.
    Professor, UC Berkeley, Nobel Laureate and presidential advisor, for his groundbreaking contributions to climate change research, energy solutions, and leadership in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

  • Linda Rudolph, M.D.
    Director of the Center for Climate Change and Public Health, for her advancing environmental health and addressing the impact of climate change on public health locally and globally.

  • Melinda Kramer
    Co-Founder of Women’s Earth Alliance, for empowering women globally to lead in climate action, health, and social justice.

  • Sierra Club SF Bay Chapter 
    For mobilizing participation and sustaining advocacy for climate policy, conservation, and environmental justice.

  • Impossible Foods, Inc.
    For pioneering plant-based food alternatives, while promoting environmentally-conscious consumption.​
     

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2018: Partnering to Preserve the Future for All

13th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​

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  • Congressman Jerry McNerney
    For his leadership in Congress to protect the environment, advance renewable energy, and support global climate goals.

  • Mayor Libby Schaaf, Oakland
    For her leadership in accelerating climate action and promoting environmental justice for Oakland residents.

  • 350 Bay Area
    For leadership as advocates, organizers, and catalysts in mitigating climate change, achieving sustainability, and protecting the rights of all.

  • Kaiser Permanente
    For leadership in environmental sustainability, including energy efficiency, waste reduction, and addressing environmental health impacts locally and nationally.

  • Kiverdi, Inc.
    For innovative development of environmentally sustainable food products, while reducing resource use and carbon emissions.

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2017: Education for All 

12th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​

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  • Congressman Mark DeSaulnier
    For championing education reform, expanding early childhood programs, and promoting higher education access in California and nationally through the U.S. House of Representatives.

  • Robbie Kreitz
    Chair of the Alameda and Contra Costa Counties chapters of the National Education Association (NEA) and the California Teachers Association (CTA), for his leadership in supporting teachers and linking NEA and CTA’s efforts to global education.

  • Salima Kaissia
    Co-founder of eSTEM Morocco for her work empowering Moroccan girls through STEM education and training, providing pathways to university and careers in science and technology.

  • Kevin Gorman
    High School Teacher of the Year, Alameda County, for his exemplary work in teaching international studies and the UN curriculum.

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2016: Humanitarian Heroes 

11th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​

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  • Kim Thuy Seelinger, J.D.
    Director of the Sexual Violence Program at the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center and Law School, for her work in advancing justice, accountability, and support for survivors of sexual violence.

  • Rohini Haar, MD, MPH
    Program Director at UC Berkeley Human Rights Center, for her advocacy and medical programs supporting victims of violence and war in conflict zones such as Syria, South Sudan, and Afghanistan.

  • Save Us from Genocide 
    For leading a Bay Area interfaith leaders campaign to end war crimes and protect Yezidi and Assyrian minorities in Iraq and Syria.

  • Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity and Rev. Deborah Lee
    For supporting Central American immigrant communities impacted by violence, poverty, and displacement.

  • Partnerships for Trauma Recovery
    Honorable Mention. A Berkeley-based NGO, for providing support and training in trauma recovery for individuals affected by violence, abuse, and crises.

  • Katia Gomez and Education2Envision
    Honorable Mention. Founder of San Leandro-based organization, for empowering girls through education and leadership development in underserved communities in Honduras.

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2015: Corporate Support of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

10th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​, United Nations 70th Anniversary

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  • Amyris, Inc.
    For developing environmentally safe products and an innovative large-scale malaria treatment to improve global health and sustainability.

  • Clorox Company, Inc.
    For promoting health, well-being, and environmental responsibility and providing safe water solutions in crisis-affected regions.

  • Nutiva, Inc.
    For producing organic foods sustainably and supporting agricultural communities in developing countries.

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2014: Peace & Security Affecting UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG)

9th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​

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  • International Rescue Committee
    For providing security and comprehensive services to asylum seekers, refugees, and victims of war and humanitarian crises worldwide.

  • Nonviolent Peaceforce
    For advancing unarmed civilian peacekeeping to promote dialogue, conflict resolution, and protect vulnerable populations.

  • Western States Legal Foundation
    For advocacy, research, and legal support in promoting nuclear disarmament, nonviolence, and international law

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2013: UN MDG 1 - Poverty, Inequality, and Disparities

8th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​​

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  • Congresswoman Barbara Lee
    Congressional champion for combating poverty and social injustice, and for her leadership in reallocating funds to address both U.S. and global human needs.

  • Potential Energy
    For providing fuel-efficient cookstoves to support vulnerable communities in Africa, saving time, money, and protecting the environment.

  • Jason Coburn, Ph.D. 
    Assoc. Professor and Director of the Berkeley Water Group at UC Berkeley, for his innovative work in water supply and sanitation, improving health and wellbeing, and empowering residents of African slums.

  • International Accountability Project
    For work promoting human rights and social justice globally, holding developers and funders of development projects accountable, and protecting the rights and needs of vulnerable communities.

  • Rose Padilla Johnson
    Executive Director of Servicios de la Raza, for her leadership in providing comprehensive services to low-income and immigrant families locally, and addressing the health needs of rural Guatemalan communities

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2012: UN MDGs 4 & 6 - Preventable Childhood Disease and Mortality  

7th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​​

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  • Sir Richard Feachem, Ph.D.
    Director, Global Health Group at UCSF, for focusing on global health challenges and policy solutions. Also for his public health leadership as former UN Under-Secretary-General for the Global Health Sector and former Exec Director of the Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria & Tuberculosis.

  • Jordan Freer
    4th-grade student, for her determination and bravery in swimming 1.5 miles in 50 minutes from Alcatraz to San Francisco, raising over $3,000 for Nothing But Nets, providing more than 300 +mosquito nets to protect children in Africa from malaria. 

  • Eva Harris, Ph.D.
    Director of the Center for Global Public Health and Professor at UC Berkeley, for her groundbreaking work in the prevention and control of dengue fever, significantly reducing disease and mortality in affected regions globally.

  • Terri Khonsari
    Founder and Executive Director of Families Without Borders, for her impactful work empowering Sierra Leonean youth through education, leadership development, and sustainable community support.

  • Laura Stachel & Hal Aronson
    Founder-Managers of We Care Solar for providing solar-powered energy to remote clinics and facilities worldwide to improve healthcare services and reduce maternal and infant mortality rates. ​

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2011: UN MDGs 2 & 3 - Girls Education and Gender Equality

6th Annual Global Citizen Awardees​​

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  • Afghan Friends Network
    For providing college preparatory programs, literacy initiatives, and supplementary education to 500+ Afghan refugee girls and teens in the U.S.

  • Center for Evaluation of Global Action (CEGA), UC Berkeley
    For research, advocacy, and training to empower girls and women to succeed in their personal, professional, and community roles.

  • Girls Inc. - three East Bay affiliates
    For educating and empowering girls after school and during the summer, especially those from under-resourced populations.

  • Urvashi Sahni, Ph.D.
    Founder of Prerna Girls School, for providing primary and secondary education to over 600 impoverished girls in Lucknow, India, and reaching many more through video and outreach, including interactions with Oakland schoolchildren and ongoing connections with UC Berkeley.

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2010: UN MDG 1 - Combating Hunger 

5th Annual Global Citizen Awards​, United Nations 65th Anniversary

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  • Alameda County Community Food Bank
    For largest local food distribution to under-resourced people, comprehensive outreach, and policy advocacy.

  • Food First
    For policy research, advocacy, and coordination supporting sustainable agriculture and small-scale food production in developing countries.

  • Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley
    For extensive education, training, and research in the US and abroad.

  • Frederick Shaw, Ph.D.
    Founder and Executive Director of Developing Indigenous Resources (DIR), for effective grassroots programs in India to reduce hunger and malnutrition, improve education, health, and economic conditions.

  • Peet's Coffee 
    For supporting coffee-growing communities in Africa and other regions to improve their income, promote better working conditions, and sustainable environmental practices.​

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2009: UN MDGs 4,5, & 6 - Child & Maternal Mortality, AIDS & Communicable Diseases

4th Annual Global Citizen Awards​

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  • Children’s Hospital and Research Institute Oakland (CHORI)
    For reducing child mortality and diseases, both locally and globally.

  • Rotary International East Bay Districts and Chapters
    For sustained contributions to eradicate polio and diseases, working with WHO & UNICEF.

  • School of Public Health, UC Berkeley
    For education, research, and partnerships to improve health and life-expectancy globally.

  • Hesperian Health Guides
    A Berkeley-based nonprofit organization, for creating and distributing health education materials, including Where There Is No Doctor, a key resource on basic healthcare, widely translated and used in developing countries.

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2008: UN MDG 7 - Environment, Climate Change 

3rd Annual Global Citizen Awards​​

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  • University of California Berkeley
    For 22 Nobel Prize winners, contributions to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, and ongoing scholarship and advocacy. 
    Notable researchers, scientists, and experts in climate change, energy policy, environmental science, and sustainability include: Barbara Allen-Diaz, Jenny Aquilino, Celine Bonfils, James Boyle, Philip Cameron-Smith, Tom Carlson, Charles Doutriaux, Philip Duffy, Peter Gleckler, Kyle Halliday, Surabi Menon, Norm Miller, Art Mirin, Velimir Mlaker, Curt Oldenburg, Thomas Phillips, Stephanie de la Rue du Can, Jayant Sathaye, Lee Schipper, Kirk Smith, Karl Taylor, Michael Wehner. 

  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories

  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories

  • The Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP)
    Overseas Service Project Committee - East Bay, for providing support to schools in six Sub-Saharan African countries.   

  • Thomas R. Miller and Tran Tuong Nhu
    Thomas R. Miller, Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Tran Tuong Nhu, journalist and writer, both from Oakland, for their collaborative support of health, micro-finance, and energy projects in Vietnam and Afghanistan.

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2007: UN MDG 7 - Water (and its links to other MDGs)

2nd Annual Global Citizen Awardees​

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  • Mayor Tom Bates, Berkeley
    For aligning the city's policies with UN MDGs – especially in water, health, education, and the environment.

  • Ashok Gadgil, Ph.D.
    Professor at UC Berkeley and Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, for inventing and distributing a low-cost, effective ultraviolet light method to disinfect drinking water in resource-limited areas.

  • Peter Gleick, Ph.D.
    Co-Founder of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security, for his advocacy of sustainable water and development policies.

  • Dr. Anuradha Mittal, Ph.D.
    Founder of The Oakland Institute, for her advocacy of land rights, global food policy and sustainable agriculture.

  • The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California
    For actively promoting MDG goals, raising awareness, engaging youth, and sponsoring global action.

  • The Shuar Health Project, UC Berkeley
    A student project for raising funds and mobilizing volunteers to tackle safe water and sanitation needs in Ecuador.

  • St. Mary’s Center
    Honorable Mention. For advocating and implementing MDG goals within under-resourced communities in Oakland

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2006: UN 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDG)

1st Annual Global Citizen Awardees, United Nations 61st Anniversary

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  • Larry Brilliant, M.D.
    Co-Founder of the Seva Foundation, for his lifetime service improving public health and combating global poverty, with notable leadership in eradicating smallpox in India as part of the WHO's Smallpox Eradication Program

  • Robert Scott, M.D.
    Founder of the AIDS Project of the East Bay (APEB), for his leadership and programs combating AIDS globally, with a special focus on Oakland and Zimbabwe.

  • The InterAct Club (Rotary), District 5170
    For successful fundraising efforts by high school students to provide clean water and combat poverty in African villagers.

  • The Rotary Club of Alameda
    For its World Community Service project distributing safe stoves, produced in Guatemala, throughout homes in Guatemala and Antigua.

  • Seva Foundation
    For 24 years of combating eye diseases and providing healthcare to communities in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and the Americas.

  • Mrs. Prabha Duneja and Geeta Society
    Honorable Mention. Founder of Geeta Society in Pleasanton. For her tireless efforts supporting schools and orphanages in India and Mozambique.​​

2023 Awardees
2022 Awardees
2021 Awardees
2020 Awardees
2019 Awardees
2018 Awardees
2017 Awardees
2016 Awardees
2015 Awardees
2014 Awardees
2013 Awardees
2012 Awardees
2011 Awardees
2010 Awardees
2009 Awardees
2008 Awardees
2007 Awardees
2006 Awardees

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