Guatemalan activist, Mexican politician conferred Gandhi-Mandela Award

New Delhi: Guatemalan activist Rigoberta Menchu Tum and Mexican politician and businessman Victor Gonzalez Torres have been conferred with the Gandhi-Mandela Award for their significant contribution to human rights and healthcare respectively.

Menchu’s tireless advocacy for the rights of the indigenous population and ethno-cultural reconciliation has earned her numerous international accolades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and the Princess of Asturias Award in 1998.

Her work continues to inspire and lead the fight for indigenous rights globally, the Gandhi-Mandela Foundation said in a statement here.

The award was given at a function on Friday in Mexico.

Chaired by Swami Avdheshanand Giri, the Gandhi Mandela Foundation is a non-profit organisation formed to promote the values of non-violence espoused by Mahatma Gandhi and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela.

The award comprises a medal and a certificate signed by a jury consisting of five former Chief Justices and former Supreme Court judges from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.