The 2011 Stockholm Human Rights Award was given to George Soros and Aryeh Neier.
George Soros has been a prominent international supporter of democratic ideals and causes for more than 30 years. His philanthropic organization, the Open Society Foundations, supports democracy and human rights in over 70 countries. Born in Budapest in 1930, George Soros is Chairman of Soros Fund Management, LLC.
Aryeh Neier is president of the Open Society Foundations. Prior to joining the Open Society Foundations in 1993, he served for 12 years as executive director of Human Rights Watch, of which he was a founder in 1978. Before that, he worked 15 years at the American Civil Liberties Union, including eight years as national executive director. He served as an adjunct professor of law at New York University for more than a dozen years.
The Stockholm Human Rights Award is a joint initiative by the International Bar Association (IBA), the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) and the Swedish Bar Association. It is awarded annually to an individual or an institution for outstanding contributions to the rule of law and the promotion and protection of human rights.
Earlier laureates have included the South African judge Richard Goldstone and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.