Milan – The Jury of “Il Premiolino”, the prestigious and oldest Italian journalism prize, awarded Alberto Cairo, writer and author of the “Diario da Kabul” on La Repubblica, the Special Prize for his commitment in Afghanistan. “Piedmontese, law graduate, physiotherapist by choice since 1989 in Afghanistan where for the International Committee of the Red Cross he is the protagonist of the miracle of having set up, in addition to that of Kabul (250 employees, all disabled), another 7 hospitals that have treated 80 thousand victims of the war of every ethnic group, army and religion, Alberto Cairo candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize is also a great journalist. His “Diary from Kabul” is a masterpiece: minimal details, common sense and love, which explain the whole world ”, reads the reasons for the recognition.
Alberto Cairo is the head of the Physical Rehabilitation Program of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan. After attending the classical high school in Mondovì and graduating in law from the University of Turin, he decided to venture into a totally different field from his studies, studying and graduating as a physiotherapist in Como.
After a period of work and practice at a Milanese hospital, he moved to Juba, Sudan, for three years. His experience in Afghanistan began in 1989, immediately after the Soviet retreat, with his first assignment for the International Committee of the Red Cross. Since then, Cairo has managed that project, allowing its expansion from the initial core in Kabul to the current seven centers, in addition to the one in the capital located in the cities of Mazar-i Sharif, Herat, Jalalabad, Gulbahar, Faizabad and Lashkar Gah. He is the author of Stories from Kabul e Afghan mosaic, books published in Italian by Einaudi. Stories from Kabul was also published in French by Presses universitaires de France, with the title Kabul Chronicles.
The Jury of “Il Premiolino” of journalism is composed of: Chiara Beria of Argentine (president), Piero Colaprico (vice president), Giulio Anselmi, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Milena Gabanelli, Massimo Gramellini, Enrico Gramigna, Enrico Mentana, Donata Righetti, Valeria Sacchi, Beppe Severgnini, Gian Antonio Stella, Carlo Verdelli and Roberto Olivi for BMW Italy.
Cairo is added to the list of winners of the 61st edition, who will be awarded on Monday 13 September 2021 together with those of the 60th edition, postponed due to the pandemic, during an exclusive event by invitation in the Garden of the Milan Triennale presented by Neri Marcorè. The winners of the 2021 edition, in alphabetical order, are: Bianca Arrighini and Livia Viganò (Factanza), Brunella Giovara (La Repubblica), Barbara Palombelli (Stasera Italia – Rete 4), Nancy Porsia (freelance journalist), Giovanni Tizian (Domani ). The “Premiolino-BMW SpecialMente” was awarded by the Jury to Claudio Arrigoni ().
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