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OEF Presents Concord Award to Kadri Ibrus and Imbi Paju

The Open Estonia Foundation’s 15th Concord award laureates are Kadri Ibrus, journalist of the daily Eesti Päevaleht, and Imbi Paju, internationally renowned independent journalist, writer and filmmaker.

This year’s Concord Award recognizes individuals whose words and actions have helped increase mutual understanding between different groups in society and called public attention to the development challenges that Estonia still faces.

Eesti Päevaleht’s journalist Kadri Ibrus has persistently and thoroughly written on socially sensitive topics and brought to light several hidden and bitter social problems in Estonia today, giving a voice to many vulnerable groups in the society.

Imbi Paju has researched, documented and disclosed delicate and painful moments in the Estonian history and initiated discussions on history both in the Estonian-speaking and Russian-speaking community in Estonia.

OEF’s Executive Director Mall Hellam compliments both laureates for their efforts to look further from their own field and their ability to perceive the joys and worries in today’s Estonia on multiple levels. “The actions and works of Kadri Ibrus and Imbi Paju set an excellent example of an empathic attitude to sensitive material, while maintaining a neutral perspective and never compromising on the accuracy of facts,” Hellam says.

The Open Estonia Foundation established the Concord Award in 1997 to honor individuals and organizations that have contributed to the development of open society in Estonia and elsewhere, and helped increase mutual understanding among people living in Estonia. The award is presented every year on OEF’s anniversary. This April 19th, the foundation celebrates its 21st anniversary.

The last year’s award was given to Ivar Tallo for promoting the freedom of speech, open governance and electronic democracy in more than 40 countries in the world, including Estonia. In 2009, OEF presented the Concord award to Kolga Secondary School to recognize their courage and creativity in supporting their partner school in Gori, Georgia, that had been severely hit in the 2008 Russia-Georgia War.

Additional information:

Kelly Grossthal
kelly@oef.org.ee
+372 615 5700

Mari Kodres
mari@oef.org.ee
+372 56 45 4598