Federal Cross of Merit Annette and Rüdiger Nehberg (2008)

"For outstanding commitment in the global fight against female genital mutilation", Rüdiger Nehberg was awarded the Cross of Merit 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by the Federal President. Annette Weber received the Cross of Merit on Ribbon. Prime Minister Peter Harry Carstensen presented the two orders on Monday, January 21, 2008, at Ahrensburg Castle in Schleswig-Holstein.

The reasons for the awards were as follows:

The name Rüdiger Nehberg stands for decades of commitment to the rights of endangered peoples and the preservation of nature. In 2001, he was awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his commitment to the Yanomami Indians in the Brazilian Amazon region. He continued his commitment and earned further outstanding merits.

When the human rights organization TARGET was founded in 2000, the focus was on Nehberg's persistent efforts in the fight against female genital mutilation in many African and Asian countries. Nehberg - together with his partner Annette Weber - worked with TARGET in tough negotiations and with enormous personal commitment to ensure that this issue was given high priority in a wide range of Islamic countries in a very short space of time.

The Al-Azhar Conference in Cairo in November 2006 was particularly praised: "It is thanks to Rüdiger Nehberg and Annette Weber that the basis for circumcision was removed from the highest level." And further: "But not only this project, but the campaign as a whole, which now affects over one and a half million girls and women worldwide through the activities of the two committed Schleswig-Holsteiners, is unprecedented due to the great successes and a special merit of the two human rights activists from the Stormarn district."

Rüdiger Nehberg: "It is important that we work as a couple. I have access to the men, Annette has the trust of the women. Her film documents were the deciding factor for many of the highest decision-makers to declare the custom a sin."

Annette Weber: "Today's awards support us in our efforts to combat this cruel crime against babies, little girls and young women. The awards help to create further trust and open doors in places where we are not yet known."