[ad_1]
Jacinda Ardern has been recognized with an international leadership award by the Harvard Kennedy School, but has passed the $ 150,000 (NZ $ 216,000) award to Kiwis studying at the prestigious American university.
Labor leader Jacinda Ardern. Source: Getty
The Prime Minister of New Zealand has been named the winner of the 2020 Gleitsman International Activist Award from the Center for Public Leadership.
The award was previously won by South African revolutionary Nelson Mandela, East Timor independence leader José Ramos-Horta, and US civil rights icon John Lewis.
Harvard Kennedy School professor Wendy R. Sherman said she was “excited” by Ardern’s acceptance.
“The Prime Minister exemplifies principled, effective and fair leadership,” Sherman said.
Ardern has requested that the prize money be used for a scholarship for a New Zealander studying at Harvard Kennedy School.
She will be honored in a virtual ceremony next month.
While she has spent the prize money, the winners also receive a sculpture by renowned artist Maya Lin.
Ardern rose to international fame after last year’s Christchurch terror attack, when 51 worshipers in two mosques were killed.
His perfect call for compassion while denying the racist motivations behind the attack was praised worldwide.
The 40-year-old solidified her place as a rock star for the global left by passing the Zero Carbon Act and executing a health-first strategy to successfully eliminate Covid-19.
Sherman cited both New Zealand’s public health response to the pandemic and Ardern’s response to the terror attack as reasons for awarding him the award.
“She has wielded a firm and swift hand, an open mind, and a vivid reflection of her entire community as she faced the challenges of terror, earthquakes and now Covid-19,” Sherman said.
“The Prime Minister reminds us all that strength, compassion, science, clear communications, humility and activism go hand in hand to generate positive results.”
