{"298441":{"#nid":"298441","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mtetwa First Woman to Receive Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProminent human rights attorney Beatrice Mtetwa has been named recipient of the \u003Cstrong\u003E2014 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage\u003C\/strong\u003E, an award given annually to individuals who, by asserting moral principle, positively affected public discourse at the risk of their careers, livelihoods, and sometimes lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMs. Mtetwa has endured a sometimes painful journey to achieve the larger purpose of freedom and justice for all,\u201d said Georgia Tech president G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson. \u201cThat is the promise of a democracy, and Beatrice Mtetwa embodies the effort to fulfill that promise. There are some who, through great personal sacrifice and courage, impact the lives of countless individuals as well as those for generations to come. Ms. Mtetwa is one such person.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe eldest child of 50, Mtetwa grew up on a farm in Swaziland without electricity and running water. She became the first in her extended family to attend high school and went on to study law at the University of Botswana and Swaziland. After pursuing a career as a government prosecutor, she became disillusioned by the selective justice she saw being doled out and moved into private practice, where she was able to conduct human rights work without political interference. Her dedication to representing those persecuted under the Mugabe regime is represented in the documentary \u003Cem\u003EBeatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMtetwa has been internationally recognized for her defense of press freedom and for facing physical assault and threats against her life in her quest to champion civil activists and local and international journalists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am hoping that the message that will be sent out there is that one can be true to their beliefs regardless of whatever dangers might be lurking in the background,\u201d said Mtetwa. \u201cIf more of us were prepared to do this kind of work, it would be more difficult to target them for persecution, and it is my hope that this award will help swell the numbers of people prepared to stand up for what is right.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u003Cstrong\u003E Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage\u003C\/strong\u003E will be presented to Beatrice Mtetwa during a ceremony at the Ivan Allen College on November 13, 2014. The presentation of this year\u2019s award is especially significant as Mtetwa, an advocate for women\u2019s equality and advancement, will be the first woman to receive the prize. It also comes at a time when government leaders in Zimbabwe are once again persecuting human right defenders such as Mtetwa.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ivanallenprize.gatech.edu\/home\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIvan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage\u003C\/a\u003E is named after Allen, a former mayor of Atlanta and Georgia Tech graduate. In 1963, Mayor Allen testified before Congress in support of what would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964, risking his place in society and political future. Prior recipients include former U.S. senator\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ivanallenprize.gatech.edu\/recipients\/2011_Recipient_Sam_Nunn.pdf\u0022\u003ESam Nunn\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Dr.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ivanallenprize.gatech.edu\/recipients\/2012_Recipient_William_Foege.pdf\u0022\u003EWilliam Foege\u003C\/a\u003E, and Congressman John Lewis. The Prize is accompanied by a stipend of $100,000, and is supported in perpetuity through a commitment by the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProminent human rights attorney Beatrice Mtetwa has been named recipient of the \u003Cstrong\u003E2014 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage\u003C\/strong\u003E, an award given annually to individuals who, by asserting moral principle, positively affected public discourse at the risk of their careers, livelihoods, and sometimes lives.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Prominent human rights attorney Beatrice Mtetwa has been named recipient of the 2014 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage, an award given annually to individuals who, by asserting moral principle, positively affected public discourse at the risk o"}],"uid":"27889","created_gmt":"2014-05-20 16:11:04","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:26","author":"Beth Godfrey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"297951":{"id":"297951","type":"image","title":"Beatrice Mtetwa","body":null,"created":"1449244530","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:55:30","changed":"1475894998","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:58","alt":"Beatrice Mtetwa","file":{"fid":"199457","name":"image001-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image001-1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image001-1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":433769,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/image001-1_0.jpg?itok=eh308ayr"}}},"media_ids":["297951"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"10007","name":"Ivan Allen Prize"},{"id":"12395","name":"Ivan Allen Prize for Social Courage"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}