The International  jury of  Ohrid Academy  of Humanism unanimously decided to give The World Prize for Humanism for 2017 to the great name of Czech and world cinema - Jiri Svoboda. His extraordinary life and creative work, whose artistic crown was last year’s masterpiece dedicated to Jan Hus, placed him among  the big names of the world humanist thought, that over the years have enriched the spiritual memory of the city of Ohrid, the city of the eternal living Macedonian enlighteners St. Clement and St. Naum, students of the apostles of Slavic culture Ss. Cyril and Methodius, patrons of Europe.
      Since its establishment in 2007, the World Humanism Award has been awarded to the champions of international humanist vision, like Daisaku Ikeda (Japan), Manuel De Olveira (Portugal), Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Russia), Ravi Shankar (India), Peter Brook (UK), Herta Müller (Germany), John Ralston Saul (Canada), Svetlin Rusev (Bulgaria), Vida Ognjenoviic (Serbia), Darko Gasparovic (Croatia).
The award ceremony of the World Prize for Humanism to Jiri Svoboda, will take place in Ohrid, on January 18 –“Vodici”, in the house of Urania, of  MANU, starting at 19 o'clock. On the ceremony there speeches by: Jordan Plevnes – President of The Ohrid Academy of Humanism, His Excellency Miroslav Ramesh - Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Macedonia, The mayor of Municipality of Ohrid Dr. Nikola Bakarachevski, who will be presenting the award, and award winner Jiri Svoboda.

"Dear Mr Jordan Plevnes,

It is the great honor and pleasure for me to receive the announcement that you together with the international jury have decided to award me with such a prestigious prize. I was not only gratified, but also really surprised. Please accept my sincere thanks.
I am delighted to accept your kind invitation to Ohrid and Skopje and I am looking forward to the opportunity of our encounter."
Jiri Svoboda

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