Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and LRN Name Winners of 20^th Annual Prize in Ethics Essay Contest

New York and Los Angeles, Nov. 10, 2009 — The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and its corporate partner, LRN, have announced that Zohar Atkins, Brown University class of 2010, is the First Place Winner of the 2009 Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics. This annual competition – celebrating its 20th anniversary this year – challenges college students to reflect upon the urgent ethical issues confronting them in today's complex world.

Atkins and other honorees were recently recognized at an award ceremony in New York City, during which Professor Wiesel congratulated the 2009 winners – along with past winners – for their reflections on ethical behavior and how it affects almost every aspect of our lives.

Atkins' essay reflects on Paul Klee's painting Angelus Novus as a symbol of the ethical challenges we face and how we must turn to love, faith and values in order to make the right decisions. The most striking feature of the artwork of the angel, Atkins explains, is that he is "cock-eyed," allowing him to see both past and future – a representation of how we all need to keep our eyes on who we are and who we must become.

"The Prize in Ethics essay contest gave me the opportunity to lay out my meditations and thinking in a formal way, and reinforced for me the importance of using critical thinking to bridge religion and philosophical ideas, so as to understand God and humanity in partnership," said Atkins, who will graduate with a concurrent bachelor and master's degree and pursue a career as a rabbi and professor. "It is humbling to have been recognized by Professor Wiesel in this way, and also very encouraging to know there is an audience interested in and resonant with the ideas of ethics, morals and right living, and that there are others who grapple with our human relationship with these ideals."

Additional winners of the 2009 contest include:

• Second Prize: Alamdar Murtaza, University of Rochester, for his essay, "Muhammad is Not," which reflects on his Muslim faith and experience of coming to the United States for education and spiritual growth.
• Third Prize: Alexander Englert, Gettysburg College, for his piece, "Asserting One's Presence: Exploring Moral Responsibility," which explores humans' willingness to act freely and juxtaposes that notion with mob mentality and draws on vivid examples from Adolf Hitler's reign.
• Honorable Mention: Rita Chang, University of Delaware, for her entry, "Blood, Sweat, and Tears: My Experience in Human Rights and Workers' Rights," which reflects on the murders of immediate members of her family by the Chinese Nationalist government and how her father has encouraged peace rather than hatred after this horrific act.
• Honorable Mention: Daniel Ming, Vassar College, for his essay, "Between Spectacle and Engagement," which explains "trauma tourism" – visiting global destinations where certain terrible acts have occurred throughout history – and reflects on his own encounters with these distant tragedies.

"Of all the projects our Foundation is involved in, this one is the most challenging and gratifying," said Elie Wiesel, founder of The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.

"We are proud to support the work of the Elie Wiesel Foundation and we warmly congratulate the 2009 winners of the Prize in Ethics. These students deserve recognition not only for their extraordinary intellect, but because their intellect is conjoined with equally extraordinary humanity, empathy for the human condition and understanding of questions of morality. They are a source of inspiration for us all," said Dov Seidman, CEO of LRN.

Thousands of young people from the U.S. and the world have participated in the Foundation's Prize in Ethics since its inception. Undergraduate students in their junior or senior year of studies are invited to submit essays 3,000-4,000 words in length, which are reviewed anonymously by a panel of jurors. This year's judging panel included Elie Wiesel, Dov Seidman, Ted Koppel and other thought leaders and academics. Students are also required to identify a faculty sponsor at their institution who reviews and signs off on the essay prior to its submission.

About The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest
The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity has posted its guidelines for the 2010 Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics contest. Registered undergraduate full-time juniors or seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States during the fall 2009 semester are invited to develop and submit an essay. For suggested essay topics and more information, visit http://www.eliewieselfoundation.org/information.aspx.

About The Elie Wiesel Foundation For Humanity
Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, established The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity soon after he was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace. The Foundation's mission, rooted in the memory of the Holocaust, is to combat indifference, intolerance and injustice through international dialogue and youth-focused programs that promote acceptance, understanding and equality. For more information, visit http://www.eliewieselfoundation.org.

About LRN: Inspiring Principled Performance
Since 1994, LRN has helped 10 million people in 400 companies worldwide simultaneously navigate complex legal and regulatory environments and foster ethical cultures. LRN’s combination of practical tools, education, and strategic advice helps companies translate their values into concrete corporate practices and leadership behaviors that create sustainable competitive advantage. In partnership with LRN, companies need not choose between living principles and maximizing profits, or between enhancing reputation and growing revenue: both are a product of principled performance. LRN is the trusted partner to leading businesses including Procter & Gamble, Apple, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Viacom, DuPont, Rolls-Royce, 3M and The Dow Chemical Company. We help our partners engage their employees in over 100 countries, and have offices in Los Angeles, New York, London and Mumbai. For more information, visit www.lrn.com, and follow @LRNinc on Twitter.

For more information, please contact: