The president of the human rights group Free the Slaves is the recipient of the 2011 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. Kevin Bales gets the award for the steps outlined in his 2007 book Ending Slavery: How We Free Today's Slaves. Bales estimates that some 27 million people worldwide are enslaved."It's a book that picks up great stories about people who get people out of slavery today and how they do it. It also points to ways that governments and international bodies such as the United Nations can take some pretty simple steps to solve what's been a problem with human beings ever since the beginning of history," he said.Bales' recommendations have influenced anti-slavery and human trafficking legislation around the world.He says the Grawemeyer's $100,000 cash prize will go back into his Washington-based organization. U of L is also announcing its Grawemeyers this week for music composition, religion and psychology. An education prize may be announced later.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.