Wed 13 October 2021:
Imtiaz Sooliman, the founder of Gift of the Givers, a disaster relief organization, has been named the Social Justice Champion of 2021.
The announcement was made at the third annual Social Justice Summit and International Conference, which took place virtually over the past two days.
— Gift of the Givers (@GiftoftheGivers) October 12, 2021
The summit, which takes place every year, strives to reflect on South Africa’s current level of social justice. Economic disparity, the impact of Covid-19 regulatory measures, the adequacy of present policy frameworks for rebuilding and restitution, and the impact of economic inequality on peace and the rule of law were all topics this year.
Nominations for the Social Justice Champion award closed on Sunday, and Dr. Sooliman was announced as the winner on Tuesday.
The organisers said a social justice champion was a person who had “moved the needle consistently in 2021 to advance equality and reduce poverty, a person who has shown a commitment to justice as justice for all, while galvanising others to pull together in a socially cohesive manner”.
They said the person should show qualities of being just and fair, and an ability to distribute resources, benefits, privileges in society. “This finds expression in the equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms by all.
A humble Sooliman said that accolade encouraged the organisation to continue serving communities.
“Yes, we do a lot of things and we do receive a lot of awards but these last two years my credit goes to my team. They work Monday to Sunday, 365 days for the year. They haven’t taken breaks they haven’t taken long weekends. They’re driven by one process – help the country.”
Sooliman said that his team was committed to helping those in dire straits.
Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, The Gift of the Givers has been supplying food and medical supplies to thousands of people in South Africa.
They’ve also helped at public hospitals across the country by drilling boreholes and supporting health workers and communities during the pandemic.
(with EWN – IOL)
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