Order of Smile
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Smile (Polish
: Order Uśmiechu) is an international award given by children, to adults distinguished in their love, care and aid for children.
) the then-Secretary-General of the United Nations Kurt Waldheim
officially recognized the Order. From then, the Order of the Smile became an international order.
In 1996, in Rabka, the Order of the Smile Museum was established on the grounds of the family park known as "Rabkoland." After the region had been given the official status of the "City of Children from around the World," an initiative was put forward to open a permanent Polish Santa's Village, which would accept letters addressed to Santa Claus from children across Poland.
In 2003 an International Charter of the Order of the Smile session took place outside the Warsaw headquarters in Świdnica
, where the Child Friendship Center was being erected. Świdnica had been officially titled the "Capital of Children's Dreams," and September 21, 2003, was declared Order of the Smile Children's Day.
. All candidates chosen by children from around the world become Laureates by the Chapter. The knight or dame of the Order of Smile is an adult, whose work is exceptional.
The Order is awarded twice a year - in spring and in fall. Laureates of the Order of Smile include approx. 850 people from 45 countries. The right to use the title of Knight of the Order of Smile is designated only to those who were decorated at the official ceremony organized by the Chapter.
At the forefront of the International Chapter of the Order of Smile stands the Chancellor, Marek Michalak, who remains in this position since 19 January 2007. Previous Chancellors include: Ewa Szelburg-Zarembina (from 1968 to 1976), Radoslaw Ostrowicz (from 1982 to 1990, and Cezary Leżenski (from 1976 to 1981, and again from 1992 to 2006).
On 16 November 1992, the International Chapter of the Order of Smile was officially registered in Poland as an association.
, Mother Teresa
, Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
, Queen Silvia of Sweden
, Sarah Ferguson
, Tove Jansson
, Dagmar Havlova, Jolanta
and Aleksander Kwaśniewski
, Jacek Kuroń
, Astrid Lindgren
, J. K. Rowling
, Steven Spielberg
, Kurt Waldheim
, Nelson Mandela
, Hilary Koprowski
, Otylia Jędrzejczak
, Oprah Winfrey
, Peter Ustinov
, and Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski
.
The youngest Knight to ever receive the Order of the Smile was Marek Michalak in 1994, then aged 23. The oldest was Irena Sendlerowa
in 2007, aged 97.
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: Order Uśmiechu) is an international award given by children, to adults distinguished in their love, care and aid for children.
History
The idea of the Order of the Smile was established in 1968 by the Polish magazine Kurier Polski, inspired by Wanda Chotomska. In 1979 (announced by the International Year of the ChildInternational Year of the Child
* Maureen Millicent Bomford founded International Year of The Child and it was endorsed by the United Nations. Maureen was born in Canterbury Punchbowl in 1930 and had four brothers. Her father was a Mayor and she always learned to appreciate the value of leadership. As the wife of a prominent...
) the then-Secretary-General of the United Nations Kurt Waldheim
Kurt Waldheim
Kurt Josef Waldheim was an Austrian diplomat and politician. Waldheim was the fourth Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981, and the ninth President of Austria, from 1986 to 1992...
officially recognized the Order. From then, the Order of the Smile became an international order.
In 1996, in Rabka, the Order of the Smile Museum was established on the grounds of the family park known as "Rabkoland." After the region had been given the official status of the "City of Children from around the World," an initiative was put forward to open a permanent Polish Santa's Village, which would accept letters addressed to Santa Claus from children across Poland.
In 2003 an International Charter of the Order of the Smile session took place outside the Warsaw headquarters in Świdnica
Swidnica
Świdnica is a city in south-western Poland in the region of Silesia. It has a population of 60,317 according to 2006 figures. It lies in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, being the seventh largest town in that voivodeship. From 1975–98 it was in the former Wałbrzych Voivodeship...
, where the Child Friendship Center was being erected. Świdnica had been officially titled the "Capital of Children's Dreams," and September 21, 2003, was declared Order of the Smile Children's Day.
The design
The Order of the Smile logo was created and developed by a nine-year-old girl from Głuchołazy, Ewa Chrobak. Using a plate as a template, she drew a sun, and added uneven rays of light. The design, one of 45,000 that had been submitted, was chosen by Szymon Kobyliński, who elaborated it into its current form.Decorating
The medal - which is a badge representing a smiling sun - is awarded in Poland by the International Chapter of the Order of the Smile, in Warsaw, Poland, where the administration is headquartered in ŚwidnicaSwidnica
Świdnica is a city in south-western Poland in the region of Silesia. It has a population of 60,317 according to 2006 figures. It lies in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, being the seventh largest town in that voivodeship. From 1975–98 it was in the former Wałbrzych Voivodeship...
. All candidates chosen by children from around the world become Laureates by the Chapter. The knight or dame of the Order of Smile is an adult, whose work is exceptional.
The Order is awarded twice a year - in spring and in fall. Laureates of the Order of Smile include approx. 850 people from 45 countries. The right to use the title of Knight of the Order of Smile is designated only to those who were decorated at the official ceremony organized by the Chapter.
The Chapter
Although most of the 59 members of the Chapter are of Polish descent, it includes representatives from other countries including: Armenia, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States of America.At the forefront of the International Chapter of the Order of Smile stands the Chancellor, Marek Michalak, who remains in this position since 19 January 2007. Previous Chancellors include: Ewa Szelburg-Zarembina (from 1968 to 1976), Radoslaw Ostrowicz (from 1982 to 1990, and Cezary Leżenski (from 1976 to 1981, and again from 1992 to 2006).
On 16 November 1992, the International Chapter of the Order of Smile was officially registered in Poland as an association.
Notable winners
Some notable Knights and Dames to receive the Order of the Smile include: Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
, Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005...
, Queen Silvia of Sweden
Queen Silvia of Sweden
|align=right|Queen Silvia of Sweden is the Queen consort of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Styled Her Majesty The Queen, Silvia is the mother of the heir apparent to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria.-Childhood:Queen Silvia was born in Heidelberg, Germany, on 23 December 1943...
, Sarah Ferguson
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
, Tove Jansson
Tove Jansson
Tove Marika Jansson was a Swedish-Finnish novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. She is best known as the author of the Moomin books.- Biography :...
, Dagmar Havlova, Jolanta
Jolanta Kwaśniewska
Jolanta Kwaśniewska , née Konty is a Polish lawyer and charity activist who was First Lady of Poland between 1995 and 2005, as the wife of the then president Aleksander Kwaśniewski....
and Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Aleksander Kwasniewski
Aleksander Kwaśniewski is a Polish politician who served as the President of Poland from 1995 to 2005. He was born in Białogard, and during communist rule he was active in the Socialist Union of Polish Students and was the Minister for Sport in the communist government in the 1980s...
, Jacek Kuroń
Jacek Kuron
Jacek Jan Kuroń was one of the democratic leaders of opposition in the People's Republic of Poland. Kuroń was a prominent Polish social and political figure; educator and historian; an activist of the Polish Scouting Association; co-founder of the Workers' Defence Committee; twice a Minister of...
, Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren , 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish author and screenwriter who is the world's 25th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide...
, J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
, Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, Kurt Waldheim
Kurt Waldheim
Kurt Josef Waldheim was an Austrian diplomat and politician. Waldheim was the fourth Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981, and the ninth President of Austria, from 1986 to 1992...
, Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, Hilary Koprowski
Hilary Koprowski
Hilary Koprowski is a Polish virologist and immunologist, and inventor of the world's first effective live polio vaccine.-Life:...
, Otylia Jędrzejczak
Otylia Jedrzejczak
Otylia Jędrzejczak is a Polish swimmer. She is the Olympic champion from Athens 2004 in the 200 metre butterfly. She finished 4th in this event in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She also swam in a third Olympiad, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In Athens 2004 she also silvered in...
, Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov
Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
, and Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski
Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski
Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski is a Polish Roman Catholic and Armenian Catholic priest, author and activist...
.
The youngest Knight to ever receive the Order of the Smile was Marek Michalak in 1994, then aged 23. The oldest was Irena Sendlerowa
Irena Sendler
Irena Sendler was a Polish Catholic social worker who served in the Polish Underground and the Żegota resistance organization in German-occupied Warsaw during World War II...
in 2007, aged 97.