President of Latvia presents ICCJ Annual Sir Sigmund Sternberg Award

Mrs. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia, presented the ICCJ(International Council of Christians and Jews) Annual International Sir Sigmund Sternberg Award yesterday to Professor Klaus Schwab, President of the World Economic Forum.

President of Latvia presents ICCJ Annual Sir Sigmund Sternberg Award

Davos -- 28 January 2003. Mrs. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia, presented the ICCJ(International Council of Christians and Jews) Annual International Sir Sigmund Sternberg Award yesterday to Professor Klaus Schwab, President of the World Economic Forum. The award was presented in recognition of his visionary effort in integrating the moral and ethical contribution of the faith communities into the deliberations of the World Economic Forum.


Mrs. Vike-Freiberga, in welcoming this integration, spoke of her own commitment to interfaith dialogue. She was very happy that the ICCJ held its annual conference in Riga this past year.


Mrs. Vike-Freiberga was introduced by Lord Carey, Religious Adviser to the World Economic Forum, who explained the origins of the Council of Christians and Jews, which came into being during the Second World War with the purpose of fighting the evils of prejudice, intolerance and discrimination between people of different religions. Lord Carey recounted that the ICCJ Annual Sternberg Award was created in 1985 to encourage younger people in particular, as well as veterans, to maintain and strengthen their contribution to the furtherance of inter-religious understanding.


Lord Carey announced that the award was also to be shared by Mrs. Schwab in recognition of her role as partner with her husband in founding the World Economic Forum.


In accepting the award, Professor Schwab underscored his commitment to continuing his work with religious leaders, whose further integration at the annual meeting was consistent with the ethos of the Forum and had a great deal of merit.


The ICCJ is the umbrella organisation of 37 national member groups in 32 countries.