Kennedy Society of Denmark
Purpose: Keeping alive John F. and Robert F. Kennedy’s inspiration
and philosophy of life, so that their good words can be translated into good deeds.

Profiles in Courage Award, 1991

The Kennedy Society has decided for the year 1991 to give John F. Kennedy’s book “Profiles in Courage” as an award to His Royal Highness, Charles, the Prince of Wales with the motivation, which also was His Royal Highness’ words in Prague this spring to President Václav Havel: “Your courageous stand throughout the years and the fact you held true to the things you believed in.”
In 1978, adresssing editors and proprietors of the press, HRH courageously pleaded for careful consideration, when the daily news are selected, in his words: “Regrettably, it does not make news to know that fifty jumbo jets landed safely at London airport yesterday, but it does make news if one doesn’t. I still believe in reminding people, that vast numbers of jumbos do land safely – for the simple reason that we are all human, and the maintenance of our morale needs careful consideration.” (Anthony Holden: Charles. Prince of Wales”, 1979 p. 253.)
In 1988 HRH summoned up his courage to express his opinion on the quality of our surroundings and regretted the lack of cared consideration of the human and natural needs in some sorts of architectural development. In his speech December 1, 1987 he challenged the architects and the public for “vision, for elegance, for dignity… prove that capitalism can have a human face.” (“A VISION OF BRITAIN” by HRH
The Prince of Wales, BBC October 28, 1988.)
In HRH’s speech to the world conference “SAVING THE OZONE LAYER”, London March 6, 1989 he very rightly critisized us with the Industrial Revolution for “upsetting the balance of nature” and “choosing the short term options.” He called for “bold decisions now” and stated: “The Montreal treaty demand an international community that actually works together to protect environment…” and “the need for worldwide participation is crucial.”
In HRH’s “THE RAINFOREST LECTURE” March 6, 1990 in Kew he courageously requested “an international agreement or convention on the world’s tropical forests.” In genuine stewardship according to the command: ”Go forth to every part of the world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation.” (Mark 16, 15.)
He spoke for the trees, “they can’t speak for themselves” and concluded: “I believe the tropical forests are the final frontier for humankind in more ways than one. Our efforts to protect them will not only determine the quality of life and economic security of future generations, but it will test to the limit our readiness to cast off the kind of arrogance that has caused such devasting damage to the global environment, and to become genuine stewards of all life on earth, not just the human bit of it.”
HRH’s BBC-program “The Earth in Balance” is also a call for stewardship and has the courage to challenge our western style of life “to redevelop our vision of the world” by stopping our hypocritical attitudes and among those our sad exploitation of the raw materials of nature.
With HRH’s repeated pleas for genuine stewardship he has shown obedience to the Christian faith in the oneness of the Church and the oneness of the Creation. With courage he has followed up the challenge to the new frontiers of our time in accordance to the ideas of John F. and Robert F. Kennedy.”