Inaugural Mandela award winners named
An eye doctor from Namibia and a politician from Portugal are the first-ever winners of the United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize‚ awarded by the UN. Dr Helena Ndume of Namibia and Jorge Fernando Branco Sampaio of Portugal were honoured for their achievements in dedicating their lives to the service of humanity.The Nelson Mandela Prize is an honorary award that will be presented once every five years.Dr Ndume is an ophthalmologist whose life’s work has been devoted to treating blindness and eye-related illnesses in Namibia and throughout the developing world‚ the UN said in a statement.Sampaio‚ the UN said‚ led the struggle to restore democracy in Portugal including throughout his tenure as Lisbon’s Mayor from 1989 to 1995 and as the 18th President of the Republic from 1996 to 2006.The award ceremony will take place on 24 July 2015‚ at UN Headquarters in New York.-RDM News Wire..
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