Fulbright Association
 





Fulbright Association
666 11th Street, N.W.
Suite 525
Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone: (202) 347-5543
Fax: (202) 347-6540

Former President of Chile Patricio Aylwin Azócar Awarded 1998 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding

Aylwin First Recipient from Latin America
The 1998 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding was awarded to Patricio Aylwin Azócar, president of Chile from 1990 to 1994. Mr. Aylwin, the first Fulbright Prize laureate from Latin America, was honored in a ceremony at the State Department on October 9.
As the first president elected by the Chilean public after 17 years of divisive military rule, Mr. Aylwin successfully guided Chile’s reintegration into the international community of democratic nations and developed economic and social policies that benefited the people of Chile and that other nations worldwide have adapted. Mr. Aylwin now serves as the president of the Corporation for Democracy and Justice, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating poverty and to strengthening ethical values in politics.
Ambassador James T. Laney, chairman of the international selection committee for the Fulbright Prize, said, "During and following his presidency, Mr. Aylwin has worked to achieve greater economic and social parity through democratic reform in Chile and throughout Latin America. He promoted reconciliation within his own society while establishing the foundations for economic growth. Mr. Aylwin initiated a remarkable transformation and continues to provide international leadership to foster social justice and economic development."
The Fulbright Association created the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding in 1993 with a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions toward bringing peoples, cultures or nations to greater understanding of others. Previous recipients of the award are South African President Nelson Mandela, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former Austrian Federal Chancellor Franz Vranitzky, former Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino, and Czech Republic President Václav Havel. The Fulbright Prize carries a $50,000 award provided by The Coca-Cola Foundation.
Ronald J. Ross, M.D., president of the Fulbright Association's Board of Directors, described Mr. Aylwin as "a man whose passion for justice and democracy transformed his country. Mr. Aylwin's efforts continue today as he works with other leaders throughout the world to safeguard human rights and to eradicate poverty."
As president, Mr. Aylwin guided Chile through a delicate transition from military rule to democracy. He declared that the abuses suffered under the military regime were "an open wound in the national soul that can only be healed if we are able to come together on the basis of truth and justice." To that end, he created a National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation to investigate incidents of human rights abuse and initiated a government program to grant reparations to relatives of victims. The model of this commission was later adopted by the current South African government to examine that country's painful past.
Mr. Aylwin carried out an inspired and internationally acclaimed social development program that became known as the "virtuous circle." He insisted that Chile's re-established democratic institutions be open and accessible to all, resulting in greater public confidence, investment and economic growth.
Serving on the international committee convened by the Fulbright Association to select the 1998 laureate were former Fulbright scholars Dr. Anton Amon, senior vice president, The Coca-Cola Company; Dr. Helga Haftendorn, professor of political science, Free University of Berlin, Germany; the Honorable Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, minister of agriculture, Nepal; and the Honorable Javier Treviño, under-secretary for administration, Ministry of Finance, Mexico. Dr. Laney, U.S. ambassador to Korea from 1993 to 1997 and president emeritus of Emory University, served as chairman of the committee for the second year.
The Fulbright Association is a private, non-profit organization that supports and promotes the Fulbright Program, an international educational and cultural exchange initiative created in 1946 by legislation sponsored by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. There are now over 200,000 Fulbright alumni throughout the world. Since 1955, approximately 1,333 Chileans have studied, taught or conducted research in the U.S. through the Fulbright Program, and more than 525 Fulbrighters from the U.S. have gone to Chile.
See also: