The Civil Courage Prize is a human rights award which recognizes "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk — rather than military valor." The prize was founded in 2000 by the Northcote Parkinson Fund. The goal of the prize is not to create a "ranking", but "to draw attention individually to some extraordinary heroes of conscience." It was inspired by the example of Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
In 2007, the Northcote Parkinson Fund's name was changed to The Train Foundation in recognition of the contributions of the family of investment advisor John Train, the fund's primary donor.
In 2012, the board of trustees consisted of eight members:
Since 2000, the foundation has awarded the Civil Courage Prize one or two activists each year. The prize comes with a $50,000 honorarium. Nominations are accepted from international non-governmental organizations, while unsolicited nominations are discouraged. The award ceremony is held in New York City or London in October of each year. Keynote speakers have included British historian Michael Howard, US journalist Jon Meacham, British Home Secretary Douglas Hurd, and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
Seven posthumous award winners have also been named, ranging from Swedish businessman Raoul Wallenberg, who worked to save the lives of Hungarian Jews during World War II, to Indonesian human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, assassinated in 2004. In 2004 and 2005, the Foundation also awarded "Certificates of Distinction in Civil Courage" to selected prize finalists. The certificates included honorariums of $1,000 apiece.