The Sunday Mail
Society Reporter
FOR the ninth consecutive year, the Diplomacy Appreciation Trust (DAT) will host the Diplomat of the Year awards dinner and ceremony in Harare on March 20.
This year’s edition will run under the theme, “Climate change: A global challenge to sustainable development”.
Explaining the theme, DAT chairperson, Mrs Anora Sibanda, said: “Climate change is now one of the biggest threats to economic stability and sustainable development. Over the last few years we have witnessed a lot of disasters ranging from veld fires, hurricanes and cyclones which have destroyed a lot of infrastructure and natural ecosystems. Climate change-induced droughts have also reduced agricultural yields.
“Closer home, Southern Africa suffered one of the worst disasters in history when Cyclone Idai ravaged parts of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi last year. Lives were lost, many people were displaced and infrastructure was not spared.
“Our theme is a call to all stakeholders to take the climate change issue seriously. It is high time we implement strategies and systems that help us to mitigate the impact of climate change on the environment and people. Especially on the poor and vulnerable.”
Mrs Sibanda said though the Diplomatic Awards’ prime objective is to honour outstanding envoys and celebrate the contribution of all diplomats towards the development of Zimbabwe and its people, over the years the awards have advocated the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“If you look at our past themes the event does not end with awards, it’s also an advocacy platform for socio and economic development. In 2018 we focussed on global engagement and building nations through dialogue.
“The previous year our theme was, promoting economic and social inclusion. In 2016 we highlighted tourism as a driver for economic development and diplomacy. Furthermore, we have touched on trade promotion and economic diplomacy. We have also embraced the Government’s engagement efforts and economic turnaround initiatives.
“The awards ceremony also creates a unique networking and engagement platform for the diplomatic community, development partners, civic society, media and industry,” reiterated Sibanda.
The Diplomat of the Year Awards were established in 2012 by Diplomat Magazine with the prime objective of celebrating the contribution of all diplomats in Zimbabwe to the development of the country and its people.
After the success and endorsement of the third edition of the awards which was held in 2014, most stakeholders felt that the awards had outgrown the founders and there was need to set up a board of trustees that hosts and manages the awards.
This resulted in the formation of DAT, which organises and manages the awards each year.
The winners of the first three editions of the awards were selected based on a popular vote from submissions by embassies. However, after the formation of DAT, a nomination committee made up of journalists, civic society and business representatives selects the winners.
Mrs Sibanda said the awards have grown to become one of the biggest events on the diplomatic calendar in Zimbabwe, attracting far more ambassadors, UN representatives and international media coverage than any other event.
The 2018 Diplomat of the Year gong was scooped by the then Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mrs Sofia Calltorp while the late Spanish Ambassador, Ms Pillar Fergus, was the inaugural Diplomat of the Year in 2012.
This year 10 diplomats will be honoured.
