FOUR FREEDOMS AWARDS

Each year, the Four Freedoms Awards are presented to people safeguarding the four essential human freedoms devised by former US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a speech in 1941: freedom from fear, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom from want.

Yesterday, in Middelburg, they were presented by Queen Beatrix and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands to the following recipients:

• International Four Freedoms Award 2008 Dr. Richard Freiherr von Weizsäcker (Former President of Germany)

• Freedom of Speech and Expression Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi (one of 'The Elders', the organization from which Princess Mabel is the director)

• Freedom of Worship Dr. Karen Armstrong (British author and expert on religion who contributed to better understanding of Christianity, Islam and Judaism)
  

• Freedom from Want Jan Egeland (Norwegian diplomat who played a key role in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, resulting in the Oslo-agreements)
  

• Freedom from Fear Ms Willemijn Verloop (Co-founder, together with Princess Mabel, of War Child Netherlands, which invests in a peaceful future for children affected by war)