Federal President Horst Köhler presented the Award, which is endowed with EUR 1 million, to Somaly Mam from Cambodia.

At a formal ceremony in Berlin today, Federal President Horst Köhler presented the "Roland Berger Human Dignity Award", which is endowed with EUR 1 million, to the Cambodian human rights activist Somaly Mam.

With the Roland Berger Human Dignity Award, the Roland Berger Foundation honors and supports the award winner in her fight against sexual slavery and the human trafficking of children, teenagers and women, particularly in Southeast Asia. The award money of EUR 1 million goes to the Somaly Mam Foundation and is earmarked specifically for continuing and expanding her Foundation's work. Attending the ceremony in Berlin's Konzerthaus on Gendarmenmarkt were about 350 guests from politics, business, culture and media. A speech in praise of Ms. Mam was given by US filmmaker and human rights activist Guy Jacobson, who was recently honored as a "Global Hero" by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for his achievements. He lauded Somaly Mam's selfless and courageous dedication to helping the victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution - despite intimidation, arson and even death threats.(Press release – 2008 Award winner: Somaly Mam from Cambodia (Nov. 24), PDF)

Somaly Mam of Cambodia is the first recipient of the Roland Berger Human Dignity Award. Herself a victim of human trafficking and sexual slavery, she has spent years battling this grievous violation of fundamental human rights, which affects millions of women and children around the world. Federal President Horst Köhler presented Somaly Mam with the award, saying, "We are recognizing a woman whose story both disturbs and inspires us; a woman, who through her uncompromising mission to defend human dignity serves as an example for us all." He also emphasized the responsibility of each individual for this issue: "We must work for better globalization, a form of globalization that benefits all. This means working for a shared ethos that says: we should treat others only as we would want to be treated. The Roland Berger Human Dignity Award is intended to contribute to advancing this ethos.

"Somaly Mam was an orphan in the poorest of circumstances. Sold into prostitution, she was forced to witness the most horrific atrocities, torture and murder," said Guy Jacobson in his speech. "Today, she has emerged as a leading figure representing the voice of the victims." The Roland Berger Human Dignity Award honors Somaly Mam personally for her work, "but the true winners are the countless number of lives she has managed to change."

In his opening remarks at the award ceremony, Roland Berger, who created the award, stated that writing human rights and human dignity into constitutions and laws is not enough. "Respecting and protecting human rights and human dignity is not only an obligation of the state, but rather requires the vigilance and dedication of an active civil society. More and more men and women selflessly take the initiative to fight for their rights and those of their fellow human beings. They do this even when it means risking their own psychological and physical existence." The Roland Berger Foundation wants to support these often unsung "community heroes" and raise public awareness of their good deeds.

With an endowment of EUR 1 million, the Roland Berger Human Dignity Award is not only an honor, but also provides significant financial support for the recipient and his or her organization, as the funds are earmarked specifically for that purpose. The Awards Committee, which selects an award winner every year from a field of suggested candidates, features several prominent names. Along with Award Founder Prof. Dr. h.c. Roland Berger, its members are: doctor and actress Dr. Maria Furtwängler; former Foreign Minister Dr. h.c. Joschka Fischer; Head of the Office of the Federal President of Germany and State Secretary Dr. Gert Haller; and Nobel Peace Prize laureates Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Dr. h.c. Kofi Annan and Dr. Shirin Ebadi.

More information on Somaly Mam can be found at www.somaly.org.