Brasília, December 30, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - On January 5, 2004, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his predecessor Fernando Henrique Cardoso (FHC) will receive the 2003 Notre Dame Prize, related to outstanding efforts in government service in Latin America. The prize is awared by the Kellogg Institute of International Studies at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.

Each president will be presented with US$ 10 thousand at the Itamaraty Palace. The money will go to social programs. Another US$ 10 thousand will be donated to a charitable institution named by the two presidents.

The 2003 Notre Dame Prize was established in 2000 and has already been awarded to public figures such as the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Henrique Iglesias, and the ex-president of Chile, Patricio Aylwin. (DAS)