The 2022 Distinguished Leadership Awards: Recognizing bravery and vision in wartime

The world has changed in unfathomable ways since the Atlantic Council last recognized a crop of distinguished leaders just six months ago. In November, the Council honored the heroes who guided the world through a historic pandemic with their drive and innovation.

Today, the world faces a new danger: a devastating war in Europe that has upended the continental security order and imperiled energy security around the world. Yet amid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine—which has fueled global instability—visionaries in business, politics, and culture have risen to the challenge.

This year’s Distinguished Leadership Awards recognized their efforts.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has lent moral direction to the European Union’s response to Putin’s aggression. His compatriot, Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Italian energy giant Eni, is leading an example-setting effort to wean Italy off Russian gas and push it toward a more sustainable future. Meanwhile, Ukrainian pop singer Jamala has used her status as a leading cultural export to raise global awareness of her country’s plight.

Then, of course, there are the Ukrainian people themselves—whose bravery and resilience against overwhelming odds have captured the world’s attention and provided new hope for defenders of democracy everywhere. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message to the more than five hundred attendees in Washington: “Courage is our national trait.”

For Frederick Kempe, CEO and president of the Atlantic Council, the crisis—and the rallying effect it’s had on the transatlantic community—has reinvigorated the organization’s mission of shaping the global future together. “It could be a future where the sanctity of borders, human rights, individual freedoms, human progress, and rule of law triumph over the law of the jungle,” he said.

 
In case you missed it, here’s some thought-provoking quotes from the program:

H.E. Mario Draghi: “We must remember the urgency of the moment and the magnitude of the challenge. This is Europe’s hour, and we must seize it. The choices Europe faces are brutally simple. We can be masters of our own destiny or slaves to the decisions of others.”

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: “Look into [Ukrainians’] brave eyes, shake their strong hands, and you’ll see they’re doing this not for glory, that they don’t just need awards—but concrete support and concrete help.”
• Ukrainian singer Jamala:“I would like to dedicate [this award] to every Ukrainian—everyone who does not know the words ‘give up.’ To the people at the front, and those who volunteer and cure, to every Ukrainian artist helping today to spread the truth, to every mother hiding their kids in bomb shelters. Together we are invincible.”
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi:“Make no mistake, the fight for freedom in Ukraine is a fight for freedom in the world—and America will be with them until the fight is won.”
• Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi:“I believe that there is no sustainable economic future for the [energy] industry against the transition. However, it is also true that there is no sustainable energy transition without bringing the energy industry and its customers fully onboard.”
• UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Al Jaber:“When the history of the energy transition is written, Claudio Descalzi will be singled out as a key player. Through his efforts, he has strengthened and enhanced the possibilities of energy security.”
• Atlantic CouncilExecutive Vice Chair Adrienne Arsht: “Countless videos and photos have been shared of Ukrainian artists performing on street corners, in subways, train stations, and shelters. Those spontaneous performances brought hope, inspiration, and a sense of calm to the people of Ukraine during this extraordinarily difficult time.”

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Πηγή: atlanticcouncil.org