The James W. Foley Foundation presented recognition awards from Bennett Awards to the 2019 recipients of its James W. Foley Freedom Awards.
The foundation was named in honor or James W Foley, an independent American conflict journalist who worked extensively across the middle east. He was taken hostage by ISIS in Syria in 2012, and was killed in 2014. His impact on colleagues and friends has been highlighted in the documentary film “Jim: The James Foley Story”.
The foundation’s mission is to advocate for the safe return of all Americans held hostage abroad, the protection of independent conflict journalists and education regarding these threats to freedom. The James W. Foley Freedom Awards are presented each year to honorees who exemplify the extraordinary moral courage needed in government, journalism and education.
The Bennett Awards design “Eternal Spirit” was used for these awards. These sculpture awards were cast in pewter, featured a brushed pewter finish, and were mounted on black marble based with unique custom engraving.
These awards were presented to recipients on April 2, 2019, at the National Press Club in Washington DC. The event featured CNN’s Christiane Amanpour as the Keynote Speaker.
The 2019 recipients of these recognition awards were:
Brett McGurk - James W. Foley American Hostage Freedom Award
Jason Rezaian - James W. Foley World Press Freedom Award
Dr. Terrence Rynne - James W. Foley Humanitarian Award