Judea and Ruth Pearl: For promoting cross-cultural understanding
To honor their son, Mr. and Mrs. Pearl founded the Daniel Pearl Foundation to promote cross-cultural understanding through media internships, Arab-Israeli dialogue, and international music festivals. Islamist extremists murdered Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002. The Daniel Pearl Foundation is NCRC's First Annual National Recipient.

Officer Abdiweli Heibeh: For serving as a bridge to better cooperation and understanding
Officer Heibeh of the San Diego Police Department is a bridge between San Diego’s large East African immigrant community and local law enforcement. Officer Heibeh is believed to be the first police officer in the United States of Somali heritage.



Marisa Ugarte: For reducing human trafficking
As executive director of the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, Ms. Ugarte works to build a comprehensive network of cross-border government and non-government agencies in Mexico and the United States to reduce human trafficking for prostitution, child pornography, and forced labor rings.

Petco Park Accessibility Collaboration Team: For development of accommodations for people with disabilities at Petco Park
The Collaboration Team conducted a productive review process with representatives from the Padres, the City of San Diego, and leaders of the disabled community that resulted in innovative accommodations for people with disabilities at San Diego’s new downtown ballpark.