Pope Shenouda wins UNESCO prize for tolerance, non-violence
Egypt, Politics, 10/18/2000

Pope Shenouda III, the Head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, was named Tuesday laureate of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence by UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura on the recommendation of an international jury.

Tanelia Boni (Cote d'Ivoire), who is the President of the Jury, said "Pope Shenouda is a religious personality whose work has been devoted to the promotion of tolerance".

"We feel that religion is an area where tolerance must be particularly encouraged because it is often in religion that tolerance is particularly lacking," Ms Boni said.

"Pope Shenouda III's commitment to peace and tolerance is expressed through his sermons, books and official church bulletins," she added.

He has established a relationship of trust with Muslims and has also worked to facilitate international dialogue between religions and plays an active role in easing inter-religious tensions as they arise in Egypt.

Created in 1995, the US $ 40,000 prize, dedicated to advancing the spirit of tolerance in the arts, education, culture, science and communication, is awarded every two years to an individual or an institution for exceptional contributions and leadership in the field of tolerance promotion.

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