Two honorees from the 2012 Washington Oxi Day Celebration, Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng and Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, were recently back in the news.

House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, in a rare joint action, sent a co-signed letter Monday to Secretary of State John Kerry expressing concern about the harassment and abuse inflicted by Chinese officials upon Chen Guangcheng and his family. This Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of Guancheng’s arrival in the U.S. after his daring escape from China. The Washington Oxi Day Foundation [WODF] honored Guangcheng in October 2012 with the Oxi Day Award for his efforts to promote human rights and democratic values in China. Click here to view a video of his acceptance speech.

Holocaust Survivor and author Elie Wiesel was recently named to the Jerusalem Post‘s 2013 list of the Top 50 Most Influential Jews. Wiesel, who was number 23 on this list, was honored by the Foundation with the 2012 Metropolitan Chrysostomos Award for his lifelong contribution as a writer, professor and activist in combating anti-Semitism, discrimination and intolerance. Click here to view a video of his acceptance speech.