Sri Lanka Red Cross wins Spanish award

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 May 2005, 10:54 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) was awarded the prestigious Spanish Red Cross Society Gold medal for 2005 in recognition of its outstanding work towards the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Mr. Jagath Abeyasinghe, President of SLRCS received the award on behalf of thousands of SLRCS volunteers at the ceremony chaired by Her Majestic Queen Sofia of Spain in Madrid on the 10th of May, SLRCS sources said.

"We have not yet recovered from the shock caused by the enormous tragedy of the tsunami in the Southeast Asian countries, which led to the biggest relief operation in the history of our organization, and which will result in a prolonged recovery phase. The Red Cross and Red Crescent reiterates today its conviction that defeating poverty, and therefore its allies disease, illiteracy, and violence, is not impossible at all." President of Spanish Red Cross Society Mr. Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro in his address at the event said.

"I accept this award on behalf of the thousands of our dedicated volunteers spread out in every single district of our island. This award makes us reflect on our humanitarian mission to some of the most vulnerable in our society, whilst re-dedicating ourselves to the tremendous challenges ahead," Mr. Abeyasinghe emphasized.

"I thank the Spanish Red Cross Society for this honour bestowed on our national society, the gracious hospitality and your confirmed desire and support to ensure that the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society will be able to achieve its objective of being a fully developed and well functioning national society which can be a beacon of light to the other National Societies," Mr.Abeyasinghe said in conclusion.