THE BURLINGAME GLOBAL AWARD
The Burlingame Foundation commemorates the life and work of 19th Century statesmen Anson Burlingame and seeks to inspire mutual trust, respect, and collaboration between the United States, China, and other nations in addressing the challenges of the 21st Century. The Foundation was launched in a speech to the US-China Forum in Chinatown, San Francisco by Dr. Walter Christman on the July 28, 2018 occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Burlingame Treaty. The treaty changed the U.S. foreign policy to China from one based on “unequal treaties” to one based on “equality of nations.” This shift in foreign policy showcased the benefits of coordinated and collective action between the two powers.
In the spirit of this treaty and of the accomplishments of Anson Burlingame, the Burlingame Foundation proposes a bi-annual award that will begin in 2023. The Award will be awarded to persons who have distinguished themselves in promoting U.S.-Chinese collaboration in support of the principles of global partnership to address emerging global challenges and risks. In that sense, it will be a fitting tribute to the memory of Anson Burlingame.
The Burlingame Global Award is intended to complement the existing efforts of the Foundation, which include the establishment of a distributed global university focused on the study of issues important to the peaceful development of humankind, notably tolerance, global resilience, and youth empowerment for sustainable development in the 21st Century. It is pursuing support for the production of a major motion picture or documentary depicting the life and achievements of Anson Burlingame. The international award will increase public recognition and incentivize initiatives around the world to promote a shareable discourse in areas where U.S.-Chinese collaboration is more appropriate than competition.
The Burlingame Global Award has been established effective November 16th 2021, designated globally as United Nations International Day for Tolerance. Declared by the United Nations, the International Day of Tolerance is an annual observance each November 16th to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. The Global Award event will be held in the city of Burlingame, CA that was named after the diplomat and will focus on the theme of international tolerance. The inaugural award ceremony will take place on July 28, 2023. The Burlingame Treaty of 1868 was the first equal treaty between China and a western power after the Opium Wars and shaped the image of China as a sovereign state. By following a cooperative policy that substituted the old doctrine of violence, Anson Burlingame played a key role in fostering mutual tolerance between the US and China, providing a light of hope in these times of growing tension between the two great powers.
The Burlingame Foundation has partnered with the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) to carry out the event. This endeavor is supported by the Global Challenges Forum Foundation of Geneva, Switzerland to advance the cause of promoting U.S.-China collaboration for global resilience and youth empowerment in support of the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development goals. For more information see: www.uschinatolerance.com and www.globalchallengesforum.org
The Burlingame laureates will receive their awards, consisting of a medal and diploma specifying their accomplishments to be awarded on July 28th anniversary date of the signing of the Burlingame treaty as a fitting tribute to Burlingame’s memory and, in an age of rising global tensions. The Foundation invites all interested partners to do their part in promoting peace by encouraging a diplomatic relationship, based on mutual tolerance, between the U.S. and China and other nations that based upon the co-development of principles for global partnership.