Chinese Charter 08 signatories awarded Homo Homini
As part of the opening ceremony for the One World festival, the Homo Homini Award was collected on behalf of the imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo by Charter 2008 signatories Mo Chaoping, Xu Youyu and Cui Weiping. This award is also symbolically intended to support them in their struggle. Charter 2008 is a direct successor to the Czechoslovak Charter 77 movement. Mo Chao-ping, Xu Youyu, Cui Weiping
Liu Xiaobo has been chosen for the Homo Homini in recognition of his comprehensive approach to promoting human rights and his persistent courage in fighting for freedom of speech in China over the last 20 years. Liu Xiaobo belongs to the notable group of Chinese intellectuals that organized Charter 08 and is a prominent figure within China’s growing pro-democracy movement, which has organized itself along the principle of using dialogue to achieve non-violent solutions in the face of unremitting persecution on the part of the government.
Although Liu Xiaobo has been repeatedly imprisoned over the years and has been living under continuous police surveillance, he has never ceased to stand up for his unjustly prosecuted and tortured colleagues. Liu Xiaobo has written and spoken freely about his fervent belief in the universality of human rights and the need for non-violent solutions. In addition, he deserves particular appreciation for his efforts to advocate equal treatment for the inhabitants of Chinese cities and rural areas and for the urgent need for greater environmental protection in China.