The award is designed to draw attention to the value of leadership, the importance of moral principles in leadership, and the popularisation of examples of such leadership in Ukrainian society. After all, with their dedicated work, the laureates showed a willingness to help people in times of perhaps the greatest fear of COVID-19 and the uncertainty caused by it.

“During COVID, the Light of Justice Award will be presented to two doctors. Thanks to them and many other quiet heroes, including doctors and nurses, thousands of lives were saved. With this award, the chapter wants to emphasise that justice is shown wherever you are and act. It is best manifested in a place where there is a need for a neighbour,” says the co-founder of the Light of Justice Award, Borys Gudziak, archbishop and metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

Eight people have been awarded since the foundation, among them: publicist Yevhen Sverstiuk; leader of the Crimean Tatar national movement Mustafa Dzhemilev; journalist and investigator of corruption schemes Natalia Sedletska; editor-in-chief of the Dukh I Litera publishing house, Leonid Finberg; and head of the Forest Initiatives and Society NGO, Dmytro Karabchuk

“I don’t belittle what I and all my colleagues are doing. It’s great that it’s been recognised. Moreover, I am glad that there are some awards that I am not ashamed to accept. “When I see Mustafa Dzhemilev or Yevhen Sverstiuk among the awardees, I understand that I am on a list that, from my point of view, I have not yet earned to be on,” Leonid Finberg said during the award ceremony in 2018.

You can support doctors this year by joining the live broadcast of the ceremony, which will take place on February 18 at 6 p.m. A link to the event will be sent to registered guests: http://bit.ly/2O9Nvog.

The programme of the event includes the inaugural speech of the laureates, the presentation of the Light of Justice scholarship to a student with an active public position, a screening of a film with the co-founder of the award, Anastasiia Shkilyk, and a performance by a musical group.

Accredited journalists will be sent the programme of the event that will take place at the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Centre: http://bit.ly/37gn8DU

Photo: Archive / Ukrainian Catholic University