Berkley Center

Dr. Zilda Arns Neumann was the founder and president of Pastoral da Criança, a Brazilian Catholic child development and family support organization. She was also the founder and national coordinator of the Senior Citizens’ Pastoral of the National Bishops’ Conference of Brazil and served as a member of the country's National Health Council and National Council for Social and Economic Development. For her work on social issues, Neumann received numerous awards, including the 2007 Woodrow Wilson Award, 2006 Opus Award, 2002 Public Health Heroine of the Americas Award, 1988 Brazilian Person of the Year on Work for Children’s Health, and the 1997 Lions Club International Humanitarian Prize. She died in the January 2010 Haiti earthquake.