The award was accepted in Mr Mandela’s absence by CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation Achmat Dangor
July 7, 2009 – The Bulgarian Ambassador, Volodya Neykov, conferred his country’s highest state award – the Order of the Starra Planini – on Nelson Mandela today, on behalf of Bulgaria’s President Georgi Parvanov.
Reading the letter addressed to Mr Mandela by his President, the Ambassador said that the award had been given for Mr Mandela’s “utmost contribution to freedom and human rights, the fight against the regime of apartheid, and for the peaceful transition and establishment of democratic governance in the Republic of South Africa”.
Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO Achmat Dangor accepted the award in Mr Mandela’s absence.
The Ambassador noted that the award was usually given to heads of state for their contribution to the development of bilateral relations between Bulgaria and other countries, but it also recognised people like Mr Mandela who are global champions of human rights and freedom.
Dangor thanked the Ambassador for the award and noted that it would take its place with others in the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Centre of Memory and Dialogue.
The Centre seeks to promote the vision, values and work of its Founder and his contemporaries. By establishing a world-class archival resource on the life and times of Nelson Mandela that is available to the world, and by promoting dialogue around critical social issues, the Centre contributes to the creation of just societies.