June 2005 Dr. Amii Omara-Otunnu, UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights and a member of the history faculty at the University of Connecticut, received the 2005 Luminary Award, given annually by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, at a June 1 reception at the Hilton Hotel in Hartford. The award honors those who exercise a profound and positive influence on global affairs.
Harry Gray, former CEO and President of United Technologies Corporation and the 2004 recipient of the award, introduced Omara-Otunnu. The keynote address was delivered by Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and UN Commissioner for Human Rights. In his acceptance remarks, Omara-Otunnu thanked the Council for the award and discussed the work of the Office of the UNESCO Chair in raising awareness of human rights-related issues. Alluding to a collection of essays by the British philosopher Bernard Williams, Omara-Otunnu said the work of the Chair is about “making sense of humanity and attempting to understand and live some of the issues of human rights and social justice in an increasingly interdependent global village.” Emphasizing the common humanity of all, he said, was the guiding philosophy of the Chair and crucial in its ecumenical approach of fostering “reciprocal learning, understanding, and respect.”
Omara-Otunnu said the African concept of umbantu, which teaches that humans are what they are because of the ways in which they interact with each other, captures the essence of human rights work. The Chair’s approach has resulted in several initiatives, including partnerships with the African National Congress and the University of Fort Hare in South Africa, the creation of a Coalition of Human Rights Organizations of New England (CHRONE), and the formation of the Student Ambassadors, a human rights outreach program staffed by UConn students under the aegis of the Chair.
Omara-Otunnu dedicated his award to his father, who he said taught him that “human rights are about practical idealism: by providing food for the hungry, security to orphans, by turning our home into a mini-United Nations of brotherhood.”
The World Affairs Council is a nonprofit organization founded in 1924. The organization seeks to promote understanding of global issues through sponsorship of programs, seminars, and discussion series devoted to international affairs
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