The award aims to reward the person with the greatest contribution to change for the better in Romania. It will be awarded annually to a compatriot whose efforts have contributed visibly and significantly to the material and spiritual growth of Romanian society. The name of the winner will be announced by a jury nominated by the Romanian Academy. Its value is 3 billion lei or about $110,000. Any Romanian citizen can be nominated for the prize, by anyone, as long as the nomination does not come from him or herself. "We need to rebuild models. And to help them fulfil their mission," said academician Florin Gheorghe Filip, vice-president of the Academy. "This is not a competition for $100,000, it's an opportunity to rethink our values. We want the models to respect the dictionary definition again." "The power of this prize lies, after all, in those who decide: the Academy. An institution that has the moral and competence to judge a man's work," says Prof. Dan Voiculescu. "At the same time, any Romanian can name a compatriot who deserves to be helped to fulfil his destiny. It's also a civic exercise, if you prefer. I won't make any nominations. I want only one thing from this award: to start valuing deeds more than words," he added. The procedures for promotion, collection of nominations, selection and nomination are entrusted to the Romanian Academy. DAN VOICULESCU FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROMANIA will in no way influence the nomination process. The award is individual. In very exceptional cases, the Prize may be awarded ex-aequo, but not to more than 2 persons with similar concerns and achievements in the field, who will benefit from the equal award and sharing of the Prize in the same year.
