Silver Rose Awards

What are the Silver Rose Awards?

SIlver Rose Awards is the flagship award of the Progressive movement. Since 2000, SOLIDAR has organised the Silver Rose Awards. This is an occasion to celebrate Civil Society Organisations and individuals whose extraordinary struggles have contributed greatly to social justice and solidarity throughout the world.

SOLIDAR co-organises Silver Rose together with the S&D Group in the European Parliament, the Pary of European Socialists (PES), and since 2023, the Foundation of European Progressive Studies (FEPS) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

The 2023 Silver Rose Award for a Just Transition went to Justiça Ambiental (JA!) for their fight against fossil fuel projects and land grabs in Mozambique. Their struggle to preserve the environment, defend human rights, and protect and mobilise local communities is an inspiration for what a socially Just Transition means for Africa and the world. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Margot Wallström, celebrating her outstanding political career and activism in promoting gender equality, social justice, and inclusive policies.

Every year we seek nominations of individuals and/or organisations that remind us how the advancement towards a more fair, sustainable, and equitable world can only be achieved through collective action, courage, perseverance, and commitment.

Civil society organisations as well as individuals are welcome to nominate candidates for the Silver Rose Award. A jury composed of civil society organisations, trade unions, and partner organisations from the progressive political family then evaluates candidates. The winners are chosen based on their significant  contributions to social justice, sustainability, and solidarity.

The award ceremony brings together a wide audience of like-minded partners from diverse backgrounds, strenghtening our alliances and partnerships, with the ambition to inspire us all to continue our efforts for a fairer and sustainable world.

2024 Silver Rose Awards Edition

SOLIDAR has launched the 2024 Call 4 Nominations. You can read and apply here.

The next edition of Silver Rose will take place in Autumn 2024.

2023 Silver Rose Jury
  • Member of the European Parliament Javi Lopez
  • Member of the European Parliament Margarida Marques
  • FEPS Secretary General László Andor
  • ETUC Deputy General Secretary Isabelle Schömann
  • PES Executive Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck
  • SOLIDAR President Anne van Lancker
Previous winners

The people and organisations who have had the honour of taking the Silver Rose stage to receive their award range from grassroots human rights activists to academics who have researched the social consequences of inequality, to undercover journalists who have shed light on working conditions in the lower social classes.

Previous winners of the SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards include: Juan Somavia (2005), former Director-General of the International Labour Organisation; the Sudanese Organisation Against Torture (2006); Aminatou Haidar (2007), human rights defender from Western Sahara; Plataforma de Mujeres Aristas contra la Violencia de Genero (2007), Spanish group of musicians; the Colombian Trade Union Federations (2010); Gunter Wallraff (2015), German author and undercover journalist, and many more.

For more information, contact us at: communications@solidar.org