The Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies created the Notre Dame Prize for Distinguished Public Service in Latin America to recognize the efforts of visionary leaders, civic activists, intellectuals and public servants to enhance the region's welfare.

Established in 1999 and first awarded in 2000, the Notre Dame Prize is funded by a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation and administered by the Kellogg Institute at the University of Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame Prize promotes the ideals of democracy, economic growth and a just, stable society, and it honors Latin Americans whose work and commitment to public service have substantially furthered the interests and well-being of the people in Latin America.

"The Notre Dame Prize aims to underscore the personal generosity, skillful leadership and tenacious hard work that leaders bring to public life in Latin America," said Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame. "It also highlights the critical role that public service plays in improving the well-being of the region's citizens."

The Notre Dame Prize carries with it a cash award of $10,000, with a matching amount given to a Latin American charitable organization chosen by the recipient. The Notre Dame Prize is customarily awarded to the recipient in-country, usually during the fall of each year. Recipients are invited to give a lecture at the University of Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame Prize has been given to the former presidents of Chile and Brazil, as well as influential and inspirational figures in the policymaking and religious communities.

Among the previous recipients are Sofía Macher, former Commissioner of the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission; Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who received the award jointly for the peaceful transition of power in Brazil; Latin American Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga; former Chilean President Patricio Aylwin Azócar; and Enrique V. Iglesias, president of the Inter-American Development Bank.

This year's Notre Dame Prize committee included the late Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, former Mexican senator and ambassador to the United Nations; Sofía Macher; and Rev. Edward Malloy, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University. Scott Mainwaring, director of the Kellogg Institute and professor of political science at Notre Dame, served as committee chairman.

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