Shuringa (1971 - ) born in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, is a Dutch film director who travelled as a passenger on board Northwest Airlines, flight 253, from Amsterdam to Detroit on December 25, 2010, and neutralized a suspected terrorist seated on the opposite side of the plane as he was ignating plastic explosives. As he subdued the suspect and looked for more explosives, crew members helped extinguish a fire that burnt Shuringa's right hand. US intelligence services later revealed the suspect was Abdulmutallab, a 23-year old with known potential links to terrorist organizations, which was later confirmed by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who claimed responsibility for the failed attack. As a result of the attack, the Dutch government immediately imposed 3-D image screenings for all passangers flying to the US.

Look at Shuringa's personal account of events.

Jerry Lee is very proud to give Jasper Shuringa the Globwatch Award 2010. While Mr Shuringa can be praised for having saved the life of 289 passengers, including his own, his "automatic reaction" - as he puts it - fits gw's restricted definition of a hero: "a volunteer who, in critical times, saves the life of one or more comrades while saving his own life." While heroes are guided by a profound sense of justice, their actions - to stop a life-threatening set of circumstances that probably will lead to the death of individuals if nothing is undertaken -, remain in the scope of human comprehension and wisdom. Their actions best reflect what gw calls the Laws of Nature, as described in GlobDemons and PolitiMagni.

Please read also gw's article on People of Honor.

This is gw's Legal&Privacy section.

Stokey (1950 -) is a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. She earned a PhD from Harvard University in 1978 under the supervision of Kenneth Arrow, Nobel Prize in Economics. She published significant research in economic growth and development, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Nancy Stockey is one of 230 US-Economists that signed a letter sent to the Congress on September 24, 2008, opposing the government's Treasury plan as outlined on that date defining it as unfair, ambiguous and risky. After an aleatory selection process, Nancy Stokey was selected by Globwatch to represent the signatories of the letter.

The exact transcription of the letter can be found in Letter to the Congress from 200 US-Economists.

Jerry Lee is very proud to give Prof. Dr. Stokey, as a representative of the signatories, the Globwatch Award 2009. While she can be praised for her academic credentials, her remarkable contribution to the mentioned letter constitutes a constructive public-warning to esteemed policy-makers, in that, policy-failures, or planification, may be dealt with more effectively, when handled with a broader scientific-consensus.

Please click on the following links for further information on gw's positionings and stances, its public statements on the Economy, and Jerry's Red Line.

This is gw's Legal&Privacy section.

Widmer-Schlumpf (March 16, 1956 -) is the daughter of former federal councillor Leon Schlumpf. She worked as a lawyer from 1987 to 1998, was the cantonal legislative of Grisons from 1991 to 1997, and was elected in 1998 as first woman to the government of Grison which she presided in 2001 and 2005.

On December 12, 2007 Widmer-Schlumpf of the Swiss People's party (SVP) was elected swiss federal coucillor by the Christian Democrat, Social Democrat and Green parties as an alternate SVP candidate by 125 votes against 115 for her direct contender, Christophe Blocher, who had been chosen by the party to renew his mandate at the federal council. Widmer-Schlumpf's decision to accept her new functions against her party's wishes, lead to enormous pressure against her person. She was victim of a COFE case, in that, she was denounced as a traitor to her party and received life-threatning messages. Later, she was excluded from her party meetings and was called to leave the party and resign from her functions. Since the matter could not be resolved legally and directly with the concerned, the SVP ordered the Grison section to expell Widmer-Schlumpf from the party. As the Grison section refused to do so, the SVP expelled the whole Grison section of the SVP. Today, both Widmer-Schlumpf and the Grison section of the SVP belong to the newly created Civic Party of Switzerland.

Jerry Lee now is very proud to give Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf the Glowatch Award 2008. While she may be praised for her loyalty to the Swiss Constitution and electoral system that lead to her ascension to the federal council, she will be remembered for a model of personal integrity. One that must be valued above any other considerations including the ideology of a group of individuals, may they be linked to politics, religion or any other area of society.

This is gw's Legal&Privacy section.

Al Gore (March 31, 1948 -) was a member of the United States House of Representatives (1977-85), member of the United States Senate (1985-93) and United States Vice President (1993-2001). Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 2007. Al Gore starred in the documentary film An Inconvenient Truth which won the 2007 Academy Award for Documentary Feature.

Jerrry Lee is very proud to give Albert Arnold Gore the Globwatch Award 2007. His engagement for the Environment on a global scale - Al Gore held numerous lectures around the world on the problems of global warming - is an extraordinary contribution to progress in the world. While Mr Al Gore may be praised for using his credibility to defend the cause of cleaner environmental policies, he will surely be remembered as a leading personality in the area of climate change, who successfully warned the World on environmental challenges, namely the urgent need to reduce CO2 levels to avoid environmental chaos, and other resulting effects. In his lectures, Mr Al Gore also mentioned overpopulation as a cause of concern.

Special thanks to Mr Al Gore and Greenpeace.

Please click on the following links for further information on gw's positionings, stances, policy and public statements on Health and the Environment.

This is gw's Legal&Privacy section.