We’re Proud to Announce PFC Bradley Manning as the 2012 People’s Choice Honoree.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s People’s Choice Awards contest our best ever!
This year, more than 15,000 people took part in the People’s Choice Awards, with nominators and voters hailing from all over the globe. Your nominations and your votes helped to shine a spotlight on the human rights heroes who matter most to you. View all our 2012 nominees here.
2012 People’s Choice Honoree
We are proud to announce PFC Bradley Manning as this year’s People’s Choice Honoree. He received over 2900 votes.
It takes great courage to stand for what you know is right. Bradley Manning, a 24-year-old Army intelligence analyst, joined the Army at age 19. Bradley is accused of leaking a video showing the killing of civilians, including two Reuters journalists, by a U.S. Apache helicopter crew in Iraq. He’s also charged with sharing the documents known as the Afghan War Diary, the Iraq War Logs, and embarrassing U.S. diplomatic cables, with the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. Journalists have credited the release of these documents with helping to motivate the democratic revolution in Tunisia as well as the final withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Although Bradley has not yet been tried, he was held in solitary confinement for the first 10 months of his incarceration. If the military continues refusing to acknowledge Bradley as a whistleblower, he may become the first person in U.S. history to be convicted of “Aiding the enemy through indirect means,” a crime punishable by life in prison or the death penalty, for telling the public the truth. Learn more about how to support Bradley at www.bradleymanning.org.
Daniel Ellsberg will accept the 2012 People’s Choice Award on behalf of Bradley Manning.
Celebrate and Honor PFC Bradley Manning and Annie Leonard!
- Join us at our annual Human Rights Awards Celebration, May 10th, at the Green Room in the Veterans Building in San Francisco. Buy your tickets today.
- Donate: Your $20, $35, $50, $100, or $500+ donation will help Global Exchange to continue our work to advance human rights and shine a light on human rights heroes here at home and around the world. With a gift of $1,000 or more you can become a Human Rights Awards sponsor. To learn more click here.
Selection Process
A People’s Choice Award Selection Committee, made up of Global Exchange staff, board members and selected Global Exchange allies, will meet after the closing of the nomination and voting period to review each nomination.
- The number of votes the candidate receives
- Evidence of contribution to human rights or justice
- Demonstration that the People’s Choice Award honor will strengthen and advance the nominee’s efforts and work
*Nominees will be disqualified if the selection committee believes that the nomination constitutes a conflict of interest–e.g. if the nominee is a Global Exchange staff or board member.
