On Friday, November 5, 2010, at the musée du quai Branly, the Jury for the Fondation Chirac Prize for Conflict Prevention recognized : Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, for his work in Lebanon, Irak, and Afghanistan, recipient of the Special Jury Prize, Mr.Mario Giro, for his work with the Communauty of Sant’Egidio, recipient of the Fondation Chirac Prize
Born in Algeria in 1934, he studied law and political science in Algeria and France.
During the Algerian war of Independence (1956-1962), he was a representative of the Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN) in Southeast Asia. At twenty-two, he represented the Algerian revolution in Jakarta. At the time, Indonesia’s President was Sukarno, one of the fathers of non-alignment and the struggle against colonialism.
Born in Rome in 1958, Mario Giro joined the Community of Sant’Egidio in 1975 while still a schoolboy. He obtained his undergraduate literature degree at the University La Sapienza of Rome and in 1979 he became head of the Center for Community Youth. Within the Center in the 1980s, he began to become interested in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and inter-religious dialogue, themes in many of the Community’s initiatives. Since 1989, he has helped establish and develop Sant’Egidio centers in Africa, which he still oversees today. As Head of International Relations of the Sant’Egidio Community, he has been involved in numerous negotiations.
Discover the speeches, videos and photos from the Fondation Chirac Prize Award Ceremony at the musée du quai Branly, Friday, November 5, 2010.