News item | 03-10-2017

Generous givers awarded
Carnegie Medals of Philanthropy awarded

3 October 2017 – Nine influential philanthropists who have reinvested part of their wealth in society with the aim of creating a world of positive change, will be awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy today. The medals are bestowed by the different Carnegie organizations in Europe and the United States, including the Carnegie Foundation that owns and administers the Peace Palace.

The bronze medals will be awarded in New York later today to Mei Hing Chak, H.F. (Gerry) and Marguerite Lenfest, Azim Premji, Julian Robertson, Jeff Skoll, Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, Shelby White and Sir James D. Wolfensohn. More information about this year’s honorees can be found on the website of the Carnegie Medal of Philantropy.

The Peace Palace could be built because of a large donation by the extremely rich Scottish businessman Andrew Carnegie who earned his fortune in the United States. His philosophy was that the surplus wealth of the few should be administered “for the good of the people”, by reinvesting it in society. It is a way of thinking that is called philanthropy. The legacy of Andrew Carnegie is being upheld by different Carnegie organizations in Europe and the United States. The Carnegie Foundation is the owner and administrator of the Peace Palace, the international symbol of peace and justice. Therewith, the Carnegie Foundation houses and facilitates the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and The Hague Academy of International Law. Moreover, the organization manages the largest library on international law in the world and actively strives for and promotes a more peaceful world by connecting different actors and facilitating dialogue. Other Carnegie organizations are for instance the Carnegie UK Trust, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Carnegie Hall.