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Award Finalists Profile	Finalists Profile Video Barefoot College (India) The Boys Choir of Harlem (USA)> Casa Allianza (Latin America) Chinese Theater Circle (Singapore) Dr. Arthur Andrew Demarest (USA) Education for Peace (Bosnia) Eloxochitl Ivonne Sanchez (Mexico) Interactive Resource Center (Pakistan)> Grupo de Teatro Catalinas Sur (Argentina) WITNESS (USA)

	Barefoot College ( India ) Humanitarian Service Award Finalist The Barefoot College awards no degrees. Instead, it keeps alive the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, who taught that villages should rely on the knowledge of their inhabitants to improve their own lives. At the Barefoot College, the poor of rural India receive the learning and tools they need to employ traditional technology and low-cost solutions for development. The 2,000 inhabitants of the village of Tilonia, at the desert��s edge in Rajasthan, draw all their electricity from the sun and collect rainwater in an underground cistern, an ancient practice. The college, built entirely by village residents, also supports education for girls, income generation and social awareness. Through its efforts, the Barefoot College provides an antidote to deep-seated problems of discrimination, injustice, exploitation and inequality. The Barefoot College believes that villages in poor nations do not need the costly development programs offered by urban-trained professionals. Modesty, self-reliance and giving value to the human qualities of one another are the qualities taught at the Barefoot College.

	The Boys Choir of Harlem (USA) Creative Arts Award Finalist Through the power of its music, the Boys Choir of Harlem transcends racial, cultural and social differences, breaking down barriers and building bridges of understanding. Over 275,000 people around the world see the Boys Choir and Girls Choir annually in 150 live concerts. Yet there is more to the Boys Choir of Harlem than a Boys Choir. Over the last 35 years, the choir has transformed the lives and broadened the cultural horizons of more than 6,000 boys and girls. The Choir Academy of Harlem has been named one of the 10 best high schools in New York City. Since the Choir Academy opened, the graduating class has had 100 percent college acceptance. For choir members, music is the motivator, blending the sounds of the European boys choir and the African-American church. The choir, which has performed at the White House and at the United Nations, has achieved international acclaim and has taken part in joint performances with other youth choirs. The appeal of the Boys Choir is universal, yet the achiev ements of the choir are based on hard work, discipline and commitment. The Boys Choir of Harlem touches the heart, stirs the soul and reaches us deeply.

	Casa Alianza (Latin America) Humanitarian Service Award Finalist Casa Alianza provides food, shelter, medical care, drug rehabilitation and other services to some of the estimated 40 million street children in Latin America . The street culture allows children to be abused, raped and murdered, while receiving no protection from the law. In Mexico City , the most populated city in the world, an estimated three out of ten children fight to survive in the streets. Affiliated with Covenant House, Casa Alianza advocates for these neglected and marginalized children, providing legal aid to halt abuses against the children, sometimes by uniformed authorities. Often, action has been taken only after Casa Alianza raised the neglect of street children to a political problem for the government. Addiction to inhalants is rampant among the children, but another killer, AIDS, has begun to take its toll. Casa Alianza street educators provide sex education and Casa Alianza centers offer individual and group therapy. Casa Alianza gives love to neglected children and the power of love can work miracles in their lives.

	Chinese Theater Circle (Singapore) Creative Arts Award Finalist Since its founding in 1981, the Chinese Theater Circle of Singapore has promoted the art of Chinese opera, dance and music locally and overseas. It has staged more than 2,000 performances in Singapore and 21 other nations. Its signature opera, "A Costly Impulse," was recorded live in Beijing in 1993 and subsequently seen in a broadcast by 700 million Chinese. The theater is noted for its pioneering efforts in creating awareness of Chinese opera. The theater has embarked on a Bringing Chinese Opera to the People project that backs performances at community centers, creating a greater awareness of Singapore 's cultural heritage. Leslie Wong, the theater's playwright, was instrumental in presenting for the first time Chinese opera productions in English and Malay. He has rebuilt interest in the old art form by writing new Cantonese opera lyrics, while revising and condensing existing opera scripts. Singapore 's Chinese Theater Circle has extended the reach of Chinese opera ab road, building new audiences for a national tradition.

	Dr. Arthur Andrew Demarest (USA) Humanitarian Service Award Finalist As an archeologist, Dr. Arthur Andrew Demarest of Vanderbilt University has explored the sites of ancient Maya civilization in El Salvador and Guatemala . But Demarest is no mere archeologist. His ambitious and innovative Cancuen Regional Indigenous Development Project in Guatemala assists the Maya people living near his projects with medical, subsistence and other basic needs. The Cancuen project aims at rescuing not only the artifacts and monuments of the ancient Maya, but also the descendents of the Maya and the rainforest in which they live. Initially, Demarest sought to convert the ancient Maya city of Cancuen into an archeological preserve that would attract tourists and provide economic relief for the 400,000 Q'eqchi' Maya, who have the highest illiteracy rate in the western Hemisphere and live on less than $2 a day. The $3 million Maya Community Health Initiative now serves the entire Alta Verapaz region. Demarest's practice of ethical archeology stands as a notable humanitarian contribution.

	Education for Peace (Bosnia) Humanitarian Service Award Finalist International Education for Peace is a Swiss-based organization that assists the Muslims, Serbs and Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the building of peace, democracy and intercultural understanding and respect. The organization addresses the psychosocial needs of children and youth traumatized by the Bosnian war and its aftermath. The signing of the Dayton accords in 1995 ended four years of bitter conflict. Since 2000, International Education for Peace has assisted young people in gaining confidence in their future in a nation torn apart by interethnic strife. The organization works for a culture of peace and a culture of healing, integrated into the curriculum in every subject. Students study the causes of conflict and learn skills to resolve conflicts in their daily lives. An International Education for Peace pilot project was so successful that the group has been invited to expand to all schools in the country. The project currently reaches 80,000 students and 5,000 teachers in 102 secondary schools. International Education for Peace ultimately hopes to reach all schools in the world, particularly those in regions ravaged by war.

	Eloxochitl Ivonne Sanchez (Mexico) Holistic Arts Award Finalist Eloxochitl Ivonne Margot Buendia Sanchez practices and teaches traditional Mexihka medicine mostly in the small village of San Pablo Tecalco , Mexico . Her clinic treats hundreds of people each month. From the age of 14, Eloxochitl was trained in an oral tradition of medicine and philosophy 500 years old. The holistic essence of her practice is living in harmony with nature and with other people. Mexihka medicine is based on the deepest respect and love for everything that surrounds us, beginning with our ancestors and older people. For optimal healing, Eloxochitl regards the cooperation of Western medical systems as a critical component. She hopes to found a clinic where many specialists can work together to ensure the best treatment for every patient. Eloxochitl has traveled and lectured about her philosophy of healing. Patients attest to her ability to restore health and emotional equilibrium. One patient said, "Eloxochitl works joyfully and gives her service with much love and respect." Her philosophy, medicine and concepts of the Mexihkas present a way of life in harmony with human beings and all that surrounds us.

	Interactive Resource Center (Pakistan) Creative Arts Award Finalist Some 64 groups in Pakistan trained by the Interactive Resource Center employ theater to advance social justice and democracy. In interactive theater, conceived by the Brazilian dramatist Augusto Boal, there are no spectators, only spec-actors who are emboldened to correct the protagonist, who deliberately makes political or social errors. The method encourages wide debate. The center's work has empowered people, changed attitudes and inspired social action. Performances have dealt with such issues as peace, violence against women, workers' rights and minority rights. Performances have emboldened people who had not been able to talk about honor killings, military domination and abuses by local feudal leaders. Interactive theater has broken the taboo of women performing in a mixed audience. Because literacy is not a requirement for taking part in interactive theater, participation is broadly based. Interactive Resource Center and interactive theater have struck a blow against the culture of silence created by Pakistani state dominance of every sphere of life.

	Teatro Catalinas Sur (Argentina) Creative Arts Award Finalist The idea of Grupo de Teatro Catalinas Sur came to life during a neighborhood barbeque held by a school's parents association. It was during the time of Argentina 's military dictatorship, which stifled popular expression, and the theater group used its community service as a form of resistance. The group remains rooted in its Buenos Aires neighborhood, even as its membership and fame has grown, performing in a converted shed. Using the rich popular arts traditions in its La Boca del Riachealo neighborhood and artistic forms from other cultures, the group believes that society can be changed by teamwork and a sense of community. The group has created more than 20 plays and now has over 200 actors. With the assistance of the United Nations and others, Grupo de Teatro Catalinas Sur is sharing community theater techniques with other Latin nations. Members of the group have also taught artists in Europe and the group's director, Adhemar Bianchi, has developed a community theater workshop in Washington , D.C. The group motivates its audiences to learn and focus on the lessons of their own history and identity.

	WITNESS (USA) Humanitarian Service Award Finalist Using cameras and other technology, Witness makes visible human rights violations around the globe. Video cameras in the hands of frontline advocates can save lives, change laws, and deliver justice. Since its inception, the Brooklyn-based Witness has created partnerships with more than 200 groups in 50 countries. Witness does more than provide technology. Witness works with its partners to use the powerful testimony and images it collects in campaigns that influence governments, attract media attention and educate the public. Through its support of local partners, Witness helps create self-sustaining video advocacy initiatives worldwide. Through Witness, local human rights violations can receive worldwide attention. Some recent campaigns attest to the reach of Witness. Burma Issues, based in Thailand , has used video to expose the Burmese military's cruel rule that has created 600,000 displaced persons. Amazon Watch, which defends the environment and advances the rights of indigenous peoples, has succeeded in getting the Inter-American Development Bank to delay a loan to a controversial natural gas project in Peru . Witness helped put pressure on US clothing companies to reform labor practices on Saipan, the only US territory exempt from federal minimum wage and immigration laws.