June 19, 2020
ROTHKO CHAPEL TO HOST VIRTUAL CEREMONY TO CELEBRATE 2020 ÓSCAR ROMERO AWARD WINNERS ON JUNE 30
Gérman Chirinos, Bernadette Demientieff and Jorge Díaz will be honored for their work on climate justice in a live-streamed ceremony
Houston, TX – The Rothko Chapel will host a live-streamed ceremony on June 30th to celebrate the winners of its biannual Óscar Romero Award (ORA), which recognizes courageous, grassroots, human rights advocacy. The 2020 award focuses on climate justice, and the Chapel’s honorees exemplify a commitment to climate advocacy in the face of enormous economic and political pressures. The three recipients of the 2020 Óscar Romero Awards are Gérman Chirinos of Honduras, Bernadette Demientieff of Alaska, and Jorge Díaz of Puerto Rico.
The virtual ceremony will be hosted by David Leslie, Executive Director of the Rothko Chapel, and an invocation will be given by Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin, the Resident Priest of Myoken-ji Temple in Houston. The ceremony will be held at 6:00 pm CDT on Tuesday, June 30th and will be available in English and Spanish. Attendees can register online at rothkochapel.org. The program is underwritten by The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation.
“We were looking forward to having the Óscar Romero Award be the first major program in the restored Chapel and expanded campus and are committed to moving forward with this timely and important program, in spite of the pandemic, in order to present the work of these courageous activists to an even larger audience through streaming,” says David Leslie, Executive Director of the Rothko Chapel.
Since its founding in 1971, the Rothko Chapel has operated at the vanguard of social justice, hosting symposia for scholars, activists and religious leaders from around the globe to engage in discussions on issues affecting human rights, and to work towards a culture of mutual understanding. Since 1986, the Chapel has granted the ORA to grassroots activists working under extraordinary circumstances to advance human rights, often without widespread recognition and at great personal risk. The award includes an unrestricted cash stipend given to the awardee and/or organization, and serves to increase the visibility of and recognition for the awardee’s work.
The award is named after Archbishop Óscar Romero of San Salvador, who was assassinated by El Salvadorian extremist political forces on March 24, 1980, because of his vocal opposition to military violence and his courageous defense of the poor and marginalized communities in his country. Saint Óscar Romero, canonized in 2018, is championed today for risking his life and reputation to speak out against social injustice and has inspired countless others to advocate for justice in the face of great economic and political pressure.
“This year’s award expands upon our 2019 Spring Symposium, which explored the wide-ranging impact that climate change is having on frontline and marginalized communities around the globe,” explains Leslie.
The three recipients of the 2020 Awards are individuals working in the areas of art, spirituality and human rights who have committed their life’s work toward climate justice and the creation of a more sustainable, livable world.
Gérman Chirinos
Gérman Chirinos is a land- and water-rights activist from Honduras. He is fighting for the future of formerly protected lands in southern Honduras that are facing invasive development projects that limit community access to water and land. Gérman helped found the Southern Environmental Movement for Life or MASSVIDA, an association of 37 communities in active resistance to the destruction of land and water. Gérman’s steadfast commitment to his work comes at great personal risk, as there have been two attempts on his life. Upon announcement of receiving the ORA, Gérman said, “This award will help to shed light on our struggle and the human rights violations committed against the communities that make up MASSVIDA. We will no longer be silenced; our work will become known.”
Bernadette Demientieff
Bernadette Demientieff of the Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich’in tribe in Fort Yukon, Alaska, is Executive Director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee, which was formed in response to proposals to drill for oil in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Bernadette has devoted herself to protecting the land that the Gwich’in people refer to as “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.” She also serves as an advisory board member for NDN Collective, the Care of Creations Task Force, Native Movement Alaska, and Defend the Sacred Alaska. When asked about her years of environmental advocacy, Bernadette said, “I am not an activist or an environmentalist; the fight came to my front door. We must all remember that we are on a spiritual path and that co-existing and respecting each other’s ways of life is important. We have to remember that being kind and compassionate is part of creating a beautiful world.”
Jorge Díaz
Jorge Díaz, co-founder of AgitArte, is a puppeteer, educator and bicultural organizer committed to working class struggles against oppressive systems. Jorge has been working on the frontlines in response to the climate crisis and political catastrophe caused by government handling of recent natural disasters in Puerto Rico. Jorge is an editor of the book When We Fight, We Win!, which sheds light on the stories, philosophies, tactics, and art of today’s most pressing human rights movements including the environmental movement, immigrant rights, prison justice, and the LGBTQ movement. Jorge is also a founding member of Papel Machete, a collective of radical artists dedicated to education, agitation and solidarity work in Puerto Rico and its Diaspora.
The ORA selection committee comprised of religious, art, and human rights experts was convened to identify the awardees: Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director at the National Religious Partnership for the Environment; Guillermo Kerber, former Program Executive for Climate Justice at the World Council of Churches; Cara Mertes, Project Director for Moving Image Strategies at the Ford Foundation; Marianne Møllmann, Director of Regional Programs at the Fund for Global Human Rights; Bryan Parras, Beyond Dirty Fuels Gulf Coast Organizer at the Sierra Club; and Nato Thompson, Artistic Director at Philadelphia Contemporary.
The 2020 Óscar Romero Award also serves as the launch for a series of programs that celebrates and reflects upon the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Chapel’s dedication, which will be celebrated beginning in 2021.
About Rothko Chapel
The Rothko Chapel is a contemplative space that interconnects art, spirituality and compassionate action through a broad array of public programs and community initiatives. It is open to the public every day of the year at no charge. Founded by Houston philanthropists Dominique and John de Menil, the Chapel was dedicated in 1971 as an interfaith, nonsectarian sanctuary, and invites visitors from around the world to experience the power and sanctity of Mark Rothko’s monumental paintings. The Rothko Chapel is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to create opportunities for spiritual growth and dialogue that illuminate our shared humanity and inspire action leading to a world in which all are treated with dignity and respect.
###
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Kubany
KubanyJudlowe
Elizabeth@kubanyjudlowe.com
212.951.1895