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On 29 December a solemn ceremony of the Global Lithuanian Awards was held at St. Catherine's Church, during which the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arnoldas Pranckevičius announced the 2021 winner of the Global Lithuanian Lifetime Achievement Award.

This year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave the award to Gintė Bernadeta Damušis, a Lithuanian American, public activist and diplomat, Lithuanian Ambassador, for consecrating a lifetime to nurturing Lithuanianness, for her sincere and consistent work to restore Lithuania's independence and for creating independent Lithuania.

"This award is a modest expression of our deep respect and sincere gratitude for the life devoted to Lithuania: for dedication, courage, faith in the freedom of Lithuania, for the decision to return to the land of her parents and create a modern independent Lithuania here," said Deputy Minister  Pranckevičius.

After graduating, American-born Ms Damušis contributed to the work of the Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid in New York, an organisation that supported the persecuted church, dissidents and human rights defenders, translated and distributed the Chronicle of the Lithuanian Catholic Church and other underground publications in English, and maintained contacts with Lithuanian independence fighters.

After Lithuania regained its independence, Gintė Damušis continued to work for Lithuania, contributed to the establishment of the Lithuanian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, USA, and officially joined the Lithuanian diplomatic service in 1992. While working in Lithuanian missions in international organisations and leading Lithuanian embassies in Austria, Canada, Denmark and Iceland Ms Damušis actively contributed to the development of political, economic and human multilateral and bilateral relations, she also headed the Global Lithuania Department of the MFA .

The Global Lithuanian Awards, organised since 2012, are intended to honour, appreciate, acclaim and award foreign Lithuanians who have accumulated international professional experience, maintained close ties with Lithuania and made a major contribution to its growth.

The Patron of the Awards is President Gitanas Nausėda. The Awards are organized by Global Lithuanian Leaders in cooperation with the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The main sponsor of the Global Lithuanian Awards - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - has been granted the honour of presenting the annual Lifetime Achievement Award.

You can view the recording of Ms Damušis' award here .