The chargé d'affaires of the American Embassy in Slovakia, Martha Patterson, on Monday, March 21, praised the non-confrontational approach and personal courage of Zuzana Čaputová, a lawyer from the civil association 'Skládka nepatri do mesta' ('A Waste Dump Does Not Belong in a Town').
At an event to mark Čaputová's nomination for the International Women of Courage Award granted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Patterson highlighted the leadership abilities of the lawyer, who "despite pressure at all levels of state administration" mobilised one of Slovakia's biggest civil movements and has fought for more than a decade against the placing of a landfill site in Pezinok, a town in Bratislava Region. Patterson pointed out that the US State Department awards the international prize for courage to women who "fight for social justice, women's rights and the rule of law".
Čaputová was not awarded the 2011 prize in the end, but she did receive a certificate of nomination from civil activist Zuzana Wienk, from the Fair-Play Alliance NGO. "For me, courage is about personal freedom," Čaputová said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, expressing her surprise at the nomination and stating that she wants to continue her journey.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
