The award was presented to Gere by Eugene and Emily Grant, with Valerie Moore O’Keeffe, chairperson of the White Plains-based center before an audience of more than 200 people.
The Spirit of Humanity Award is awarded to an individual who has done exceptional work to make a difference in this world.
“We honor Richard Gere for his work the past three decades as an advocate for human rights,” said Valerie Moore O’Keeffe, chairperson of the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center.
“He is an effective fighter against injustice, inequality and intolerance. His humanitarian efforts through the Gere Foundation and the International Foundation for Tibet to prevent cultural genocide and preserve human rights in Tibet have drawn global recognition. He has also been responsible for launching the Heroes Project in partnership with the Avahan AIDS Initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India.”
The center’s mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of the lessons of the Holocaust, and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect.
The center helps schools fulfill the New York State mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights abuses be included in their curriculum.
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