The RRI Personality of the Year in 2023

And the winner is...

Eugen Cojocariu, 01.01.2024, 14:00

Radio
Romania International once again held its annual survey of
its listeners and Internet and social media users to find out the
2023 Personality of the Year. That
person is Antonio Guterres, the United Nations
Secretary General. This is how Christer Brunström, from Sweden,
justified his nomination: It
is really hard to find a person who has really contributed to the
creation of a better world this year. Most of the people who have
dominated the news have done just the opposite. However,
after
careful consideration I propose Antonio
Guterres,
the Secretary General of the United Nations. He has been a strong
voice asking for the end of armed conflicts and wars of aggression
and he has also stressed the need to address climate change. Sadly, it
seems most world leaders don’t listen to him. While
Malik
Momin Raza Khokhar, from Pakistan, said: His
commitment to diplomacy and international cooperation left an
indelible mark on the world stage, making him a symbol of hope and
progress in the pursuit of global harmony.

In
terms of number of nominations among RRI’s listeners, Guterres was
followed by Pope Frances and the Iranian human rights activist and
Nobel Peace winner Narges Mohammadi. Our listeners also nominated
journalists from around the word who are opposed to the war,
especially in Ukraine and Gaza, and who continue to provide accurate
coverage, risking their lives, as well as the Palestinian people and
the victims of the war in the Gaza Strip. The world leaders proposed
for RRI Personality of the Year included Ukraine’s president
Volodymyr Zelensky, King Charles III, Taiwan’s president Tsai
Ing-Wen, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the mayor of
the Romanian city of Timişoara Dominic Fritz, whose city was
European Capital of Culture in 2023. Also nominated were the American
singer and social activist Taylor Swift and the TV presenter from
Afghanistan Hosai Ahmadzai.