Personality of the Year 2013 on Radio Romania International
Dear friends,
Eugen Cojocariu, 02.01.2014, 14:11
Radio Romania International continued its traditional end-of-year survey among short-wave listeners, Internet and social media users. We challenged you to designate the person who you believe has left the most significant positive mark on the world in 2013.
Among the nominees there have been anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, Edward Snowden, the American computer specialist and former NSA contractor, who disclosed classified NSA documents to several media outlets, thus triggering a huge international scandal featuring the USA and its global surveillance apparatus, the young Pakistani human rights militant Malala Yousafzai and also the Ukrainian protesters in Kiev’s Independence Square, who are fighting for Ukraine’s rapprochement to the EU.
Some of you have also nominated the former Pope Benedict the 16th, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian hardline politician and jouranlist Boris Stomakhin, Prince George, son of Prince William of Great Britain and of Dutchess of Cambridge, Laura Marie, song writer and singer of San Antonio, Texas, nominated for the messages conveyed by her lyrics, and the Polish team that in March 2013 climbed for the first time in winter the Broad Peak in the Hymalayas, in an expedition that unfortunately ended in two people dead.
The radio, as a means of mass comunication has also been nominated, and also common people, those who live their normal lives wihtout asking for rewards or recognition, as our american listener Roberta Szelesky pointed out.
Radio Romania International has designated Pope Francis as the personality of the year 2013. The former Argentinian cardinal “has displayed modesty, tolerance and democratic behaviour. His attitude is a good example for over one billion belivers, Christians and not only” – this is how RRI listener from Ukraine, Ihor Kanevski, has motivated his choice.
