ROLEX hails winners of international awards
Five laureates recognized for their pioneering projects

Tokyo, 22 October 2002 —Marking the 10^th series of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, Rolex has announced the winners of this global initiative —four men and one woman from Brazil, Canada, France, South Africa, and the United States.

Each has received US$100,000 and a specially inscribed, gold Rolex chronometer at a recent gala ceremony in Tokyo where they were honored for their groundbreaking projects in the areas of science, the environment, exploration and cultural heritage. The five Laureates were selected from almost 12,400 applicants from 113 countries by an international panel of prominent scientists and explorers.

These Laureates, like the 45 Laureates who have preceded them since Rolex established the programme in 1976, represent diverse cultures and spheres of interest. 

This year's prize-winners are: Michel Andre, a French biologist who has created an innovative system to present collisions between whales and ships; Jose Marcio Ayres, a Brazilian forest ecologist who is spearheading the establishment of the world's biggest rainforest corridor by involving local residents; Dave Irvine-Halliday, a Canadian electrical engineer who is supplying inexpensive lighting systems to homes and schools in developing countries; Lindy Rodwell, a south African zoologist who is preserving cranes and their habitats throughout central and southern Africa, as well as the lifestyles of the local people; and Gordon Sato, an eminent, retired American cellular and molecular biologist who is helping the people of Eritrea establish agriculture based on mangroves.

"Despite the diversity inherent in the Rolex Awards, the Laureates all have in common the spirit of enterprise that underpins the programme," said Mr. Patrick Heiniger, chief executive officer of Rolex S.A. and chairman of the Selection Committee. 

"Whether saving whales or endangered birds, improving living standards in remote villages, safeguarding our precious rainforest, or developing low-tech agricultural methods in one of the world's most impoverished countries, these five individuals have demonstrated their intent to improve our planet and the human condition-the underlying objective of the Awards."

Seeking New Applicants
In June this year, Rolex invited applicants from enterprising men and women the world over for the 11^th Awards cycle, the 2004 Rolex Awards. 

The biennial programme provides financial support and global recognition to visionary and dedicated individuals whose ongoing working projects are original and feasible, and have a positive impact on the surrounding community and beyond.

In addition to the prizes awarded to the 2002 Laureates, five Associate Laureates will each receive US $35,000 and a steel-and-gold Rolex chronometer.  These runners-up will be honoured with presentations in their own countries in the months ahead.

The 2002 Associate Laureates, three men and two women, are: Sebastian Chuwa  (Tanzania); Ilse Kohler-Rollefson (Germany): Makoto Murase (Japan): Martha Ruiz Corzo (Mexico): and Geoffrey Summers (United Kingdom). 

Their projects range from saving the camels in the Indian state of Rajasthan to applying innovative archaeological methods to map and explore an Iron-Age city in Turkey. Makoto Murase, the Japanese Associate Laureate who was singled out for his project to recycle rainfall in cities, joined the Laureates at Tokyo's 23^rd October ceremony.