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Speech by CE at Lui Che Woo Prize - Prize for World Civilisation Inaugural Prize Presentation Ceremony (English only) (with photos/video)
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     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, at the Lui Che Woo Prize - Prize for World Civilisation Inaugural Prize Presentation Ceremony this evening (October 3):

Dr Lui (Founder and Chairman of the Board of Governors cum Prize Council of Lui Che Woo Prize, Dr Lui Che-woo), Mr Tung (Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Mr Tung Chee Hwa), Mr Zhang (Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Zhang Xiaoming), Laureates, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good evening. It gives me great pleasure to be here for the inaugural presentation of the Lui Che Woo Prize - Prize for World Civilisation.

     The award is, as you will surely agree, very well-named: a Prize for the world. For extraordinary achievements, and achievements for mankind as a whole.

     I am sure you have heard of Omran. Or at least, you must have seen his photo in the papers. A five-year-old Syrian boy pulled from the rubble from Aleppo after an airstrike, wounded and dust-covered.

     Omran is only one of the many. The deadly violence in Syria had already killed some 400 000 people and displaced millions. A day ago, yet another civilian hospital in Aleppo was attacked, leaving the city's health system on the verge of collapse.

     These heart-wrenching images shocked the world. For those of us who are blessed with peace and stability, it is hard to imagine - let alone endure - the tragedies of war, conflict, poverty and hunger.

     And yet, mankind is endowed with the gift of compassion. The ability to empathise with those who suffer from disasters and catastrophes - like Omran. Our hearts go out to them, as one.

     Such is the spirit of humanity. Such is the spirit of Lui Che Woo Prize. To pay tribute to individuals and groups who selflessly serve. To those who devote themselves to the betterment of humanity and civilisation - regardless of race, nationality, religion, creed and complexion.

     The three laureates of the first Lui Che Woo Prize, as you will hear more from Dr Lui, have made far-reaching contributions to world civilisation. Each in their own unique way.

     Professor Yuan Longping, the richly deserving recipient of the Sustainability Prize, has spent more than half a century developing high-yielding hybrid rice for China, and other areas and regions threatened with famine - moving us towards a world without hunger.

     Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), winner of this year's Welfare Betterment Prize, has brought relief and hope to those suffering from epidemics and infectious diseases. A 1999 Nobel Peace Prize winner, MSF provides emergency medical aid to the world's vulnerable - wherever and whenever needed. Such selfless dedication is deeply humbling. And truly without borders.

     And there is the worthy recipient of Positive Energy Prize - President James Earl Carter, known to the world as "Jimmy" Carter. Former President of the United States, and a 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner, he, too, has taken on the injustices of the world, and imparted positive energy to people from all walks of life. The Carter Center's mandate - "Wage Peace, Fight Disease, Build Hope" - makes that poignantly clear.

     In battling disease, in braving war and disaster, in bringing rice and sustenance to all corners of the world - the three distinguished laureates surely reflect the hopes of the beneficent creator of this esteemed award.

     Dr Lui Che-woo is, of course, a well-respected and long-time philanthropist. For years and decades, he has supported, amongst others, the development of education, medical care, innovative technology, arts and culture, and environmental protection. The Lui Che Woo Prize is one of his latest and most profound philanthropic endeavours.

     I thank Dr Lui for his generosity in supporting charitable causes - not only in Hong Kong, but also across national boundaries, across institutions and sectors. I share Dr Lui's conviction that, whenever and wherever we join hands and hearts, we can build a caring, loving and harmonious world.

     I again applaud and congratulate the three Lui Che Woo Prize laureates - for their remarkable achievements in advancing world civilisation, and in building a better future for mankind.

     Thank you.
 
Ends/Monday, October 3, 2016
Issued at HKT 20:15
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The Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, addresses the Lui Che Woo Prize - Prize for World Civilisation Inaugural Prize Presentation Ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this evening (October 3).
The Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, attended the Lui Che Woo Prize - Prize for World Civilisation Inaugural Prize Presentation Ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this evening (October 3). Photo shows Mr Leung (left) presenting the Welfare Betterment Prize to a representative of the Laureate, Médecins Sans Frontières (right).
The Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, attended the Lui Che Woo Prize - Prize for World Civilisation Inaugural Prize Presentation Ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this evening (October 3). Mr Leung (third left) is pictured with the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Governors cum Prize Council of Lui Che Woo Prize, Dr Lui Che-woo (fourth left), and his wife, Mrs Lui Chiu Kam-ping (first left); the Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Mr Tung Chee Hwa (first right); the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Zhang Xiaoming (second left); the Laureate of the Sustainability Prize, Professor Yuan Longping (fourth right); the representative of the Welfare Betterment Prize Laureate, Médecins Sans Frontières (third right); and the representative of the Positive Energy Prize Laureate, Mr Jimmy Carter (second right), at the ceremony.

Audio / Video

CE attends Lui Che Woo Prize - Prize for World Civilisation Inaugural Prize Presentation Ceremony
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