Joan Baez and Ai Weiwei to receive top Award from Amnesty International

Legendary folk singer Joan Baez and world-renowned artist Ai Weiwei - both committed activists - will be the joint recipients of Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award for 2015, the human rights organization announced yesterday.

Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award is the organization's top honour, recognizing those who have shown exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through their life and work.

The Award will be presented at a ceremony in Berlin on 21 May 2015, with speakers including singer-songwriter Patti Smith.

"The Ambassador of Conscience Award is a celebration of those unique individuals who have used their talents to inspire many, many others to take injustice personally. That is why both Joan Baez and Ai Weiwei make such worthy recipients; they are an inspiration to thousands more human rights activists, from across Asia to America and beyond," said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Today is the 50th anniversary of Joan Baez's performance to the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march in Alabama. She performed at the "Stars for Freedom" rally alongside fellow artists including Harry Belafonte (who was awarded the Ambassador of Conscience Award in 2013), Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Paul & Mary and Nina Simone.

Joan Baez has dedicated most of her life to non-violence, and civil and human rights activism. She has participated in marches for civil rights alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; advocated against the death penalty; campaigned for peace and against human rights abuses in Vietnam; defended the rights of California's migrant farm workers; attended anti-torture rallies; and supported gay and lesbian rights campaigns.

She helped establish...