Romania bestows 2025 "Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu" National Award on Pat Johnson for combating anti-semitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech

The "Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu" National Award for outstanding merits in combating anti-semitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech was awarded for 2025, on the recommendation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Canada, to Pat Johnson - a public figure with over 30 years of experience promoting human rights and equal opportunities, combating antisemitism, discrimination, prejudice and exclusion in public, institutional and civic life, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) announced on Tuesday.

"The arguments behind the jury's decision to award the "Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu" National Award for 2025 took into account the innovative nature of the laureate's activity, the long-term impact and the substantial civic commitment, as well as the remarkable contribution to public education," a MAE release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday informs.

Law No.67/2024 and the National Strategy for preventing and combating antisemitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech 2024-2027 provide for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to bestow the "Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu" National Award for exceptional achievements in combating antisemitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech.

The award is bestowed annually on organisations or individuals who have carried out projects which produced tangible results, recognised by the scientific community or by national and international professional organisations, in the areas of education and research on combating xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech, and/or Holocaust commemoration and the fight against antisemitism, conducted in the previous year, the MAE added.

Pat Johnson

I am honoured (and amazed) that I have been selected by the Government of Romania for the 2025 Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu National Award for outstanding merits in combating antisemitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech.

I am grateful for this recognition, and thank the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, and its CEO Ezra Shanken, for nominating me.

By selecting me, I think the award committee members are making a statement about non-Jewish allies and, in a way, that message is not about courage but, conversely, about how easy it is to do the right thing. I am not being falsely modest when I say the lesson I think this sends is not that I have done anything particularly exceptional, but that doing the right thing can be relatively simple.

The work this prize represents — standing against antisemitism, hate, and distortion of history — is collective, ongoing, and carried by so many people. I see this prize as encouragement for all people to keep going, to speak clearly, and to just show up.

I’m grateful to the Romanian government for this recognition, and I hope I can honor Ambassador Constantinescu’s legacy by continuing this work — with Upstanders Canada, and in my writings on Substack, at the Jewish Independent, and elsewhere, with continued dedication, fueled, as always, by rage and caffeine.

ABOUT AMBASSADOR CONSTANTINESCU

Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu was a senior Romanian diplomat and respected multilateral negotiator, best known for his leadership on sustainable development and human rights within the UN system. As Romania’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, he played a key role in global diplomacy, most notably as Chair of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in the lead-up to the 2012 Rio+20 conference, where he was widely credited as a skilled consensus-builder across deep geopolitical divides. In parallel, he was closely involved in international efforts to combat antisemitism, including contributing to discussions and support around the working definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, helping advance its recognition as a practical tool for governments and institutions. He died in 2017 and is remembered for combining technical mastery with moral seriousness in service of multilateral cooperation.