Roosevelt Foundation honors international laureates with Four Freedoms Awards
With the Four Freedoms Awards, the Roosevelt Foundation annually honors exceptional commitment to fundamental freedoms. After it was announced on January 6 that President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people will receive the International Four Freedoms Award, the Roosevelt Foundation now reveals the remaining laureates: the Committee to Protect Journalists (Freedom of Speech), social activist Isidora Uribe Silva (Freedom from Want), and Gisèle Pelicot (Freedom from Fear), an international leading figure for victims of sexual violence. The name of the laureate for Freedom of Worship remains confidential for security reasons.

For more than forty years, the Four Freedoms Awards have been presented to individuals and organizations whose dedication and achievements demonstrate a strong commitment to the ideals of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. On January 6, 1941, President Roosevelt proclaimed in his historic Four Freedoms speech that everyone, everywhere in the world, has the right to four fundamental human freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear. These freedoms remain highly relevant and provide a moral compass for the design of our society and how we treat each another.

Earlier this month, it was announced that President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people will receive the International Four Freedoms Award in 2026, in recognition of their courageous fight for our freedom and democracy under exceptionally difficult circumstances.

“It is fantastic that, once again this year, we can honor four remarkable laureates. Their stories reflect some of the major issues of our time: the fight for human rights in Iran, the protection of press freedom worldwide, including in conflict areas such as Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, but also the lasting, ongoing task of full participation in society for people with disabilities and the fight against sexual violence”, said Hugo de Jonge, Chair of the Roosevelt Foundation and King’s Commissioner. “These laureates show that freedom is never self-evident, and must be defended and fought for time and time again.”

Freedom of Speech – Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. For more than forty years, CPJ has defended the rights of journalists to work safely and without fear of reprisal. When press freedom violations occur, CPJ mobilizes a network of correspondents who report and take action on behalf of those targeted. In its pursuit of a robust free press, CPJ denounces press freedom violations, meets with heads of state and high-ranking officials, and advises on diplomatic efforts. The organization also provides comprehensive support to journalists and media workers facing life-threatening situations, including the provision of basic necessities, medical and psychosocial support, and legal assistance in cases of prosecution or imprisonment. Currently, the situation in Gaza is particularly urgent with CPJ documenting the deadliest and most deliberate effort to kill journalists on record. Last year, 128 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide, the vast majority by Israeli forces.

Due to safety concerns, the Freedom of Worship laureate’s name is not yet public
The recipient of the Freedom from Worship Award cannot yet be disclosed because of safety concerns. The laureate has converted to a faith that cannot be freely practiced in the* country of origin. Worldwide, millions face persecution for their religious beliefs, sometimes with fatal outcomes. This underscores the importance of the ongoing fight for the freedom of worship.

Freedom from Want – Isidora Uribe Silva
The young and passionate Isidora Uribe Silva from Chile is determined to help create a genuinely inclusive society. She believes disability should not be seen as a weakness; it is a part of society and must be recognized, understood, and respected. Based on her own experience, she has been advocating for inclusion, equal human rights, and gender equality since the age of thirteen. She began by developing a parking app for people with disabilities. This initiative grew into “Encuentra tu lugar Foundation”, a non-profit organization that works from a human-rights-based approach to empower individuals and communities, strengthen youth leadership, and promote concrete transformations in areas such as education, accessibility, and social participation. In 2022, Isidora was named one of the 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations. She is also active as a member of the Generation Equality Adolescent Mobilization Committee. Currently a member of the UN Women’s International Network of 100 Leaders Network, participating in their working group internationally. Her experiences led her to participate in various United Nations initiatives related to youth, gender equality, and inclusion. Through her work as an international speaker and her successful online community, she gives people with disabilities a strong voice; in Chile and far beyond.

Freedom from Fear – Gisèle Pelicot
Gisèle Pelicot was drugged for years by her own husband and severely sexually abused by him and dozens of other men. She chose to pursue a public trial. By speaking openly about the abuse, she breaks taboos, inspires others, and encourages sexual abuse survivors to share their stories, placing responsibility and shame firmly where they belong: on the perpetrators. Mrs. Pelicot calls for behavioral change and public understanding of sexual violence, worldwide. She strives for a society in which everyone can move freely and safely, without fear and free from coercion or violence, on the street, at work, and at home.

Four Freedoms Awards Ceremony 2026
The Four Freedoms Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, 16 April 2026, at the Abbey in Middelburg. The medals will be presented by Dutch presenters. Traditionally, the awards are presented in April in Middelburg, usually in the presence of the Prime Minister, members of the Royal House, and members of the Roosevelt family. The city of Middelburg has a long-standing connection to these awards: since 1982 the international ceremony has taken place there, and Zeeland is the historical origin of the Roosevelt family. Surrounding the ceremony, “Stichting Vrijheidcolleges” organizes a youth program: the Four Freedoms Meet-up, where young people can ask questions to the laureates.

Moral Compass
For over forty years, the Four Freedoms Awards have been presented to individuals and organizations whose efforts and achievement demonstrated a genuine commitment to the ideals of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. His words from 1941 remain relevant today. They offer a moral compass for shaping our society and how we treat one another. The laureates of the individual Four Freedoms Awards are international freedom fighters who bring these freedoms to life and protect them in practice. Each year, the medals highlight the global relevance and urgency of these value, both then and now. The Roosevelt Foundation and the Roosevelt Institute in New York aim to inspire young and old to keep Roosevelt’s ideas alive. This happens in part through the presentation of the Four Freedoms Awards. The ceremony takes place in odd-numbered years in New York, and in even-numbered years in Middelburg. Four Freedoms have previously been presented been presented to distinguished global citizens such as Harry S. Truman, H.R.H. Princess Juliana, Nelson Mandela, Arthur Miller, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, Malala Yousafzai, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Angela Merkel.