Monday, October 25, 2010
6:12 pm | Posted by
Francois Baird |
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The Reverend Canon Andrew White is the winner of the Civil Courage Prize for 2010. The prize is awarded every year by the Train Foundation for "Steadfast Resistance to Evil at Great Personal Risk".
Canon White is the "Vicar of Baghdad", the rector of St George's Church in Baghdad, an ecumenical church and the last remaining Anglican church in Iraq. The Train Foundation made an excellent choice in this man who is a key participant in the peace process, having helped to broker the historic Baghdad Peace Accord in 2004, who still operates medical and dental clinics, and who has worked in more than a 100 cases as a mediator to secure the release of kidnap victims. Canon White not only exposes himself to immense personal danger through all of these activities, but manages to continue his work load while himself suffering from multiple sclerosis. Courage is in my view an inadequate term with which to describe Canon White. Not only his courage, but also that of his wife and children.
At the prize giving ceremony in New York he made a moving and insightful speech in which he explained the requirements for making peace; of which his simple prescription to eat together - to prepare food for each other, was most unexpected and underlined his human (not humanistic - he was clear about the need for faith) approach to the great affairs of war and peace in a troubled land. How many pontificators in the capitals of the world would not benefit from sitting quietly at the table with this great man and learning from him? They should chew and allow him to talk.
Unexpectedly, for a cleric and in these times, Canon White also had much good to say about the role and conduct of the United States military forces in Iraq.
A wonderful moment in the speech was when he asked a young man to stand up. This young man was the first ever kidnap victim for whom Canon White mediated in Iraq. The good reverend had not seen the youngster again after his release, until the night of the prize giving in New York!
The prize giving left the audience with much to ponder, not least the matter of how we ourselves confront evil. As for Canon White; he has answered the question unequivocally.
Canon White is the "Vicar of Baghdad", the rector of St George's Church in Baghdad, an ecumenical church and the last remaining Anglican church in Iraq. The Train Foundation made an excellent choice in this man who is a key participant in the peace process, having helped to broker the historic Baghdad Peace Accord in 2004, who still operates medical and dental clinics, and who has worked in more than a 100 cases as a mediator to secure the release of kidnap victims. Canon White not only exposes himself to immense personal danger through all of these activities, but manages to continue his work load while himself suffering from multiple sclerosis. Courage is in my view an inadequate term with which to describe Canon White. Not only his courage, but also that of his wife and children.
At the prize giving ceremony in New York he made a moving and insightful speech in which he explained the requirements for making peace; of which his simple prescription to eat together - to prepare food for each other, was most unexpected and underlined his human (not humanistic - he was clear about the need for faith) approach to the great affairs of war and peace in a troubled land. How many pontificators in the capitals of the world would not benefit from sitting quietly at the table with this great man and learning from him? They should chew and allow him to talk.
Unexpectedly, for a cleric and in these times, Canon White also had much good to say about the role and conduct of the United States military forces in Iraq.
A wonderful moment in the speech was when he asked a young man to stand up. This young man was the first ever kidnap victim for whom Canon White mediated in Iraq. The good reverend had not seen the youngster again after his release, until the night of the prize giving in New York!
The prize giving left the audience with much to ponder, not least the matter of how we ourselves confront evil. As for Canon White; he has answered the question unequivocally.
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1 comments:
Andrew is an amazing man with an amazing family that supports his work, God's work. You have chosen a worthy recipient for this award; one that could be given to him year after year. He is most deserving of this honor and those of us that know him, completely agree with this prize. Thank you for honoring him.