Socialists and Democrats gathered in Brussels for the Silver Rose award ceremony to celebrate the remarkable achievements of individuals and organisations dedicated to advancing social justice and sustainable development.
Silver Rose is organised by SOLIDAR together with the S&D Group in the European Parliament, the Party of European Socialists (PES), and the Foundation of European Progressive Studies (FEPS). This year, the event partnered with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), PES Women, and the Young European Socialists (YES). The 2024 award ceremony took place last night.
PES common candidate, Nicolas Schmit, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for dedicating his life to creating a more equitable and just world.
At the award ceremony, Deputy Secretary General Saar Van Bueren commended Schmit’s achievement saying:
‘‘Nicolas’ work has left an indelible mark on the landscape of social justice, and we are proud to recognise his lifelong commitment.
‘‘As Spitzenkandidat for the European Socialists in this year’s European elections he played a pivotal role in promoting an agenda based on social justice, fighting climate change, strengthening the pillars of democracy and in shaping policies that promote equitable labour markets and protect workers’ rights’’
ETUC Deputy General Secretary, Isabelle Schömann, PES Women President, Zita Gurmai, and YES Secretary General, Sofie Stage were at the ceremony as well.
Alongside Schmit, The Just Transition Award was awarded to Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF); a nonprofit network present in 70 countries working on transformative gender equality in interconnection with climate justice.
Socialists and Democrats also paid tribute to the late Glenys Kinnock by posthumously awarding her the SOLIDAR Legacy Prize for Social Justice for her lifelong commitment to global social justice and human rights throughout her career as an MEP, the UK Minister for Europe, and the UK Minister for Africa and the United Nations.
PES congratulates all the award winners and looks forward to future collaboration with our progressive family!
