The Walter Cronkite Faith & Freedom Award

Award-winning journalist Bill Moyers presented The Interfaith Alliance Foundation's (TIAF) third annual Walter Cronkite Faith & Freedom Award to U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, of the 11th Congressional District of Texas, and Rabbi Steven Jacobs, of Temple Kol Tikvah in Woodland Hills, Calif., at an award ceremony and luncheon at the Yale Club in New York City.

"From the spheres of religion and politics, two leaders are being honored for their courage and dedication to advancing the principles of religious liberty with integrity and civility," said the Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, executive director of TIAF, at the event attended by more than 100 civic, business and religious leaders. "By honoring their achievements, we hope to encourage more people of faith and goodwill to stand up for religious freedom and to demonstrate the healing and constructive force of religion in public life."

Established in 1998 to honor veteran journalist Walter Cronkite for his courage in challenging the political manipulation of religion, the annual award recognizes individuals whose work and actions have embodied the shared religious values of civility, mutual respect and compassion when addressing controversial and divisive issues.

The selection committee's members were the following celebrities:

• Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell: Director of the Department of Religion, Chautauqua Institution

• The Honorable Gerald Ford: 38th President of the United States

• Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy: Executive Director, The Interfaith Alliance and The Interfaith Alliance Foundation

• The Honorable John Lewis: Member of Congress, 5th Congressional District of Georgia

• Mr. Bill Moyers: Journalist, Public Affairs Television

• The Honorable Andrew Young: Chairman, Goodworks International, LLC

• Mr. Elie Wiesel: Professor, The Boston University, Nobel Peace Laureate, 1986