Global Witness is delighted and honored to announce that it is the recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and the TED Prize. The awards, announced today in a joint statement from Skoll and TED, are being given in recognition of the organisation’s “extraordinary innovation in disrupting an unjust and unsustainable status quo” (Skoll), and “its bold and creative vision to spark global change” (TED).
Global Witness’s three Co-Founders and Directors – Patrick Alley, Charmian Gooch and Simon Taylor will jointly be presented with the Skoll Award, while Charmian Gooch has been awarded the TED Prize.
Global Witness investigates and campaigns to change the system by exposing the economic networks behind conflict, corruption and environmental destruction: the warlords, politicians and businessmen looting natural wealth; the oil, mining or timber companies that they do business with; the traders, manufacturers and investors who turn a blind eye; and the banks, lawyers and anonymous shell companies that help launder the profits.
Global Witness both reports on these matters, and campaigns to change the terms of debate and set global solutions in place.
“Everyone at Global Witness is honored and thrilled to receive these two prestigious awards, from two remarkable organizations,” said Charmian Gooch, Co-Founder and Director of Global Witness. “They are a rocket booster to our work, making it possible for us to carry out even more cutting edge investigations, public interest reporting, and hard hitting campaigning that challenge vested interests and change the system. I’m personally also very excited about the prospect of announcing the details of my TED Prize Wish live from the TED conference in March. This being our 20th Anniversary year, we couldn’t have wished for a better birthday present.”
The Skoll Foundation presents the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship each year to a select group of social entrepreneurs whose proven innovations are disrupting an unjust and unsustainable status quo and have demonstrated impact on solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. The $1.25m Skoll Award recognizes organizations that have the potential to scale their success and also to drive large-scale, systems change. Global Witness’s Patrick Alley, Charmian Gooch, and Simon Taylor will be honored along with other 2014 Skoll Awardees at the 11th Annual Skoll World Forum in Oxford, April 9-11.
The TED Prize is awarded annually to an exceptional individual who receives $1m and the TED community’s resources and expertise to spark global change. The Prize begins with a big wish to inspire thinkers and doers across the globe. Charmian Gooch will announce her wish live from the main stage at the annual TED Conference. The session will be broadcast globally for free on March 18 (6-7:45 pm PST) at http://tedlive.ted.com/.
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The Skoll Foundation presents the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship each year to a select group of social entrepreneurs whose proven innovations are disrupting an unjust and unsustainable status quo and have demonstrated impact on solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. The $1.25m Skoll Award recognizes organizations that have the potential to scale their success and also to drive large-scale, systems change. Global Witness’s Patrick Alley, Charmian Gooch, and Simon Taylor will be honored along with other 2014 Skoll Awardees at the 11th Annual Skoll World Forum in Oxford, April 9-11.