January 1, 2019 Amb. Kenneth Quinn
Ambassador Quinn received this award, presented by the AEGIS Trust of Great Britain, for his several decades of service in confronting and countering genocide, especially in relation to the people of Cambodia, and for championing values of humanity globally. He was cited for his reporting from the Cambodian border in 1974 alerting the U.S. government to the genocidal policies of the Khmer Rouge; and his plan while Ambassador to Cambodia in the 1990s that led to the complete eradication of the worst genocidal, mass-murdering terrorist organization of the second half of the 20th century. Ambassador Quinn is only the second person to ever receive this award, which is the highest honor that the AEGIS Trust presents. There were two presentation ceremonies for this recognition. The first took place in Kigali, Rwanda, with Minister of Agriculture Gérardine Mukeshimana, a genocide survivor, presiding. The second ceremony was held in the House of Lords in London with the presentation made by Lord Ashton of Liverpool. Dr. James Smith, the Founding Chair of the AEGIS Trust, had nominated Ambassador Quinn for this award. In his acceptance speech, the Ambassador expressed the importance of preventing future genocide. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, the AEGIS Trust works in several countries engaged in research, education and the dissemination of information and advice regarding genocide prevention. Its activities include helping survivors to rebuild their lives, honoring the memory of victims of genocide, building long-term peace in post-genocide societies and documenting the experiences of survivors, perpetrators, and rescuers.