The European Citizen's Prize was launched by the European Parliament in 2008 to recognise exceptional achievements by Europeans. Candidates are proposed by members of the European Parliament and winners are awarded with a symbolic prize in the form of a medal of honour.
Fr. Barun was nominated for the prize by the head of the HDZ/EPP delegation MEP Dubravka Suica and seconded by her colleagues Ivana Maletic, Zeljana Zovko and Ivica Tolic.
Croatian MEP Tonino Picula, who is a member of the Social Democratic Party and the Socialists and Democrats parliamentary group, nominated the Croatian Transplant Association for the prize.
Fr. Barun, a 32-year-old Jesuit, heads the IRS for Southeast Europe and teaches Religious Instructions for children of Catholic foreigners in Zagreb and organises puppet shows for refugee children.
Describing his work, Barun said: "I think being open to others and to the different is a challenge for all people regardless of their faith....Christ's words can help us as Christians to decide for openness, accepting strangers, recognising good in others and allowing others to enrich us by their difference...that decision is up to every Christian to decide to what measure and how to answer that call."
MEP Picula has nominated the Transplant association for the second time. The association was established in 2005 and thanks to its work, Croatia has for years been among the top countries in the world for the number of donors and transplants conducted.
"There are about 4,000 people in Croatia with transplanted organs and about 300 are on waiting lists, while about 200 people die each year waiting for a transplant," Picula said.
The medal giving ceremony will be held in Brussels on October 11.