La Fundación Lucha contra el Sida celebró en la noche del lunes 24 diciembre 2014 en Barcelona la quinta edición de la Gala Sida. Un evento que ha reunido a más de 40 celebridades españolas en una ceremonia benéfica para recaudar fondos para la lucha contra el VIH. En total se lograron 713.000 EUR para la fundación española que lucha contra esta enfermedad, reuniendo 750 invitados para cenar bajo la gran cúpula del Palacio de Montjuic a 600 EUR el cubierto.

Mi buen amigo, el cantante Miguel Bosé, como anfitrión carismático de la cita, ha conducido, un año más, junto con Martina Klein, esta ceremonia solidaria. La bailarina Sara Baras ofreció a los invitados un espectáculo inédito diseñado especialmente para la ocasión.

El Museo Nacional del Arte de Cataluña (MNAC) ha sido el lugar escogido por la asociación para celebrar esta velada a la que asistieron más de 700 invitados, entre los que se dieron cita muchas caras populares del mundo de la moda, el cine y el deporte, como Carolina Herrera, Gemma Mengual, Alex Corretja, Carles Puyol, Enrique Ponce y Helen Lindes. También estuvo presente el Alcalde de Barcelona, Xavier Trias.

Grandes empresas, con perfil filantrópico, colaboradoras con la entidad como Iberia, Renfe, MediaPro y Gas Natural Fenosa, entre otras, han participado también en este evento social y benéfico de recaudación de fondos para la investigación sobre esta epidemia.

Después de la cena, el público pudo disfrutar de una sesión en directo de Bimba & Charlie Sinchronic Sessions DJ Set, dirigido por la sobrina del conductor del evento, Bimba Bosé.

Gracias Miguel por tu extraordinario compromiso en la respuesta contra el VIH.

Para más información sobre la respuesta a la epidemia del VIH/sida en Latino América: UNAIDS Latin America.

The German-based Palm-Foundation recently (26.08.2014) announced that Salijon Abdurakhmanov from Uzbekistan, and Nazikha Saeed from Bahrain, are this year’s laureates of the freedom of speech and the press award.

“Salijon Abdurakhmanov is a brave critical journalist who was unjustly sentenced to ten years in prison,” reads the Palm Foundation’s announcement. “Among other things he has written about the consequences of the disappearance of the Aral Sea.”

The Award Ceremony will take place on November 30 2014, in Schorndorf, Germany. The Palm Foundation expressed its hope that Abdurakhmanov, who has been in prison since 2008 in Uzbekistan, would be able to personally attend the award ceremony where he and his work will be honored and he will be awarded a ten thousand euro prize.

Laureate Abdurakhmanov.

Each year on the anniversary of Palma’s execution the Foundation honors brave journalists, authors, and activists who are fighting -and suffering- for freedom of speech and the press across the world. The Palma Foundation believes Salijon Abdurakhmanov to be a such outstanding individual and professional.

Abdurakhmanov, a Karakalpakstan native, worked as a journalist for various print and broadcast outlets: uznews.net, IWPR, Ozodlik Radio, and Voice of America Radio. Abdurakhmanov was arrested in June 2008 and has served over five years of a 10-year prison sentence on drug possession charges. Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience in 2009.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the US State Department, and various human rights organizations have made repeated appeals to the Uzbek regime to free the journalist. Salijon Abdurakhmanov’s family appealed to the president of Uzbekistan to release him due to his ill health. The journalist is suffering from acute ulceration of the stomach and intestinal tract and his condition has been worsening.

"I brought these cases to the attention of President Islam Karimov in May and October this year. I once again call on the authorities to consider Abdurakhmanov’s case, in particular on humanitarian grounds," OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said. "I will continue to closely follow his and the other two journalists’ fate.”

ECS Group staff wishes to join our colleagues from uznews.net and congratulate the Uzbek journalist as per being the recipient of this relevant paneuropean price – the Johann-Philipp-Palm-Award for Freedom of Speech and the Press.