Opus Prize Awarded to Organization Furthering Literacy in India Released: Nov. 7, 2005 "We hope that one day we will be able to make a difference in the lives of people and bring a ray of hope and sunshine on the face of every person, a text book and slate within reach of every child. We want to change our world, one child at a time." — Rev. Trevor Miranda, S.J. Additional Resources • Full-Text of Speech • More About Rev. Miranda • Photo Essay Milwaukee, Wis. –The $1 million Opus Prize, an international humanitarian award given to people or organizations that are committed to changing deeply rooted problems such as poverty, hunger, illiteracy or disease, was awarded last night at Marquette University to Reach Education Action Programme (REAP), in Mumbai, India, which seeks to empower the underprivileged through literacy for a new world of freedom, justice, dignity and self-respect. The award was accepted by REAP founder Rev. Trevor Miranda, S.J. Marquette University was chosen by the Opus Prize Foundation, which funds the Opus Prize, to administer this year's award. Under Father Miranda's leadership, in just six years REAP has opened more than 450 literacy centers to bring books and teachers to the desperately poor in India. Wherever the children may be - on the streets, in the hills, on the highways or in tribal areas - REAP's mission is to reach them, and to set them on a more hopeful path in the mainstream of society. REAP also launched an adult literacy program that focuses on giving women the education, training and skills they need to take on dignified jobs and escape from the streets. Additionally, Father Miranda received an honorary degree from Marquette. The award recipients will participate in a week-long series of events on the Marquette campus dedicated to the cause of human rights around the world. Other Awards Two other endeavors were also recognized at the Nov. 7 award ceremony. Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos ("Our Little Brothers and Sisters"), a charitable organization serving orphaned and abandoned children in Latin America and the Caribbean, received a $100,000 prize. The prize was accepted in honor of its founder, Rev. William Wasson, by Rev. Phil Cleary who runs the day-to-day operations of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. Dr. Juliana Akinyi Otieno also received $100,000 for her service as a pediatrician in eastern Kenya, where two in every ten children still die before the age of five. Until recently, she was the only pediatrician serving a community of 300,000 people. About the Opus Prize The nondenominational Opus Prize honors faith in action, singling out the good works, fidelity, and exemplary character of recipients. The Opus Prize Foundation is a philanthropy established by the Opus Corporation, a Minnesota company providing architectural, construction and real estate development services in 40 markets nationwide. About the Prize Selection The winners were selected by a jury appointed by Marquette University. The jurors were Chris Abele of the Argosy Foundation, R.W. Apple, Jr. of the New York Times, William Burleigh of E.W. Scripps Company, the Honorable Janine Geske of Marquette University, Erica John of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Supporting Fund, Kerry Kennedy of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, Sheldon Lubar of Lubar & Company, Roy Reiman of Reiman Publications, the Honorable Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and former Governor of Wisconsin, and Rev. Robert A. Wild, S.J. of Marquette University. Marquette's participation in administering the Opus Prize has been a catalyst to exploring issues of human dignity and human rights and the response of individuals and institutions to such issues. As part of the year-long "Human Dignity, Human Rights: A Call to Service," the university will present faculty lectures across academic disciplines, a film series, performing arts productions, and presentations by university guests on issues of human rights in the context of Marquette's Catholic, Jesuit mission Office of Marketing and Communication Contacts Brigid O'Brien Miller Director of University Communication Phone: (414) 288-7445 Send e-mail Anne Broeker Sr. Media Relations Specialist Phone: (414) 288-0286 Send e-mail