We are requesting nominations for the Civil Courage Award and hope you will consider nominating someone you know who might be suitable.  The process is simple and informal.  Please use this link or read below…

Annual Civil Courage Award – Call for Nominations

About the Civil Courage Award

Each January, the Civil Courage Society presents a Civil Courage Award to honour someone who, despite personal risk, has bravely helped others by acting against persecution or  injustice.  Our role models for civil courage are Raoul Wallenberg and Chiune Sugihara, diplomats who saved thousands of people from the Holocaust at great risk to themselves, during World War II.

We strive to build a legacy of inspiring examples of civil courage today.  Contemporary stories of such resolve remind us of the inherent good that still lives within people.  Examples of civil courage help to educate, to pay tribute, and finally to motivate people to act with courage and live their values, thus helping to heal the world.

If you know of someone who has exemplified civil courage, please consider nominating them for the Civil Courage Award.  On page 2, you’ll find instructions for preparing a nomination letter.

Required characteristics for Civil Courage Award nominees

1. The nominee made extraordinary and courageous efforts to help others or save lives – actions that were not required by their usual occupation.  Examples might include defending people against human rights violations, opposing bullying or harassment, or taking a stand against unjust laws or social norms.
2. The nominee’s acts of civil courage were carried out at significant personal risk (physical or psychological) to the nominee, their family, or their career.
3. The nominee is a living person who has a connection with British Columbia, for example, by birth, residence, or occupation.  However, it is not required that the acts of civil courage took place in B.C.
4. The nominee’s courageous action(s) resulted in a positive tangible outcome.
5. In general, acts of violence or actions endangering the lives of innocent people would be excluded.

Other considerations for the Civil Courage Award

The degree of documented impact on human lives is relevant in choosing the award recipient.  However, the significance of a courageous act may not be known for some time.  Therefore, past actions can often be more clearly evaluated than those tied to immediate events.

The Civil Courage Award is not intended to be a lifetime achievement award.  Our intent is to recognize specific acts of civil courage, regardless of the age of the nominee.

Normally we give an award to only one recipient, but an award could include as many as three recipients.

The Civil Courage Award stands on its own.  Preference is given to a nominee who has not previously received a similar award, unless the previous award recognized actions different from those cited in the current nomination.

The Civil Courage Society is a non-political, non-sectarian organization.  The award recipient can be a current or former elected politician, but the actions considered for the award can’t have occurred while the recipient was holding office.

How to submit a nomination letter for the Civil Courage Award – The nomination letter should include:

1. Identification of the nominee
   Name
   Occupation
   Home address
   Connection to British Columbia
   Contact information – phone number(s), email
2. Description of the nominee’s act(s) of civil courage – Please tell the story in 500 words or less (about one page).  Be sure to explain how the nominee’s actions exemplify the criteria for civil courage:
   - The actions helped others who faced injustice or violation of human rights.
   - The actions involved personal or psychological risk for the nominee.
   - The actions were not part of the nominee’s normal work requirements.
   - The actions did not endanger others.
3. Supporting documents – Supporting documents (for example, articles or personal testimonies) are helpful but not required with the nomination letter.  If you can provide supporting documents with the letter, please include copies or links to online sources, and submit no more than 3 documents.
4. Information about you (the nominator)
   Name
   Home address
   Contact information – phone number(s), email
   Your relationship to the nominee
5. Please submit the nomination letter by email to info@wsccs.ca

How the award recipient is selected – We confer the Civil Courage Award at our Raoul Wallenberg Day commemoration, each January.  The deadline for nominations is October 15.  Nominations will be reviewed by a committee of the Board of Directors for the Civil Courage Society.  As part of our deliberations, the committee may contact nominators in order to gather additional information.

The award recipient will be selected by November 10.  If a suitable recipient is not found, there will be no Civil Courage Award at the following Raoul Wallenberg Day event.

If you have questions, please email us at info@wsccs.ca.  Thank you for your participation with the Civil Courage Society in honour of Wallenberg and Sugihara.

• The recipient is a living person.

• The recipient is associated or connected with BC.

• There has to be a positive, tangible outcome, e.g., advancing human rights, as a result of the action.

• The acts were carried out at significant personal, physical or psychological risk; or the acts followed physical or psychological oppression of the individual.

• The recipient made extraordinary and courageous efforts to help others with respect to social justice and/or human rights by standing up against gross injustice or hardship.

• The recipient engaged in acts which defied unjust laws, norms, conventions or unethical behaviours of the time or within the context in which the acts took place.

• Acts carried out outside of BC would be seriously considered (just as Wallenberg and Sugihara’s acts involved foreign issues).