The actor George Clooney and his wife Amal, who are rarely seen side by side, received an award for the first time as a couple, during the virtual ceremony of the Elevate Prize Foundation (see slideshow).
The couple have been awarded the Catalyst Award, which recognizes eminent personalities who use their platform and notoriety to inspire social change. The Clooneys who created the Foundation for Justice gave a speech together. “One of the core values of the Elevate Prize Foundation is safety and freedom. A value we share at the Clooney Foundation for Justice, we work to free the innocent and punish the guilty by delivering justice one case at a time.” said the 60-year-old actor.
For her part, 44-year-old human rights lawyer, Amal Clooney, referenced the $250,000 sum that accompanies the Catalyst Prize in her speech to say: “The funding we receive through this award will support our TrialWatch program, which monitors criminal trials around the world and advocates for those unjustly detained, including journalists, women, LGBTQ people and minorities.” George finally added: “Our goal at the foundation is to free the innocent and punish the guilty. I think we are both inspired by young people who are challenging injustice in their community, a new generation that will not accept the status quo.“
This is the second year that this prize has been awarded, after a previous edition which saw the actor rewarded Trevor Noah for her work to boost learning opportunities in South African schools. The actor ofOcean’s Eleven had already received an award recognizing his dedication to humanitarian projects in 2007 with the Peace Summit Award. As for Amal Clooney, accustomed by her profession as a lawyer to public speaking and commitment, she had appeared before the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights.