The National Constitution Center's 2008 Liberty Medal will be awarded to former Soviet leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev.

Gorbachev is recognized for his courageous role in ending the dangerous, decades-long Cold War and in giving hope and freedom to millions who lived behind the "Iron Curtain."

The public ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 18, 2008 at the National Constitution Center on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, for which tickets are now on sale.

The 2008 Liberty Medal ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS3 at 7 p.m.

Tickets

Admission to the ceremony is free, with the exception of the $7 per ticket service charge. Reserved tickets are required and available through ComcastTIX at 1.888.633.2572.

Live Webcast

You can follow the ceremony in real time by logging on to cbs3.com. The live webcast begins at 7 p.m. on September 18 and will be available for re-viewing at 9 p.m.

2007 Liberty Medal

The National Constitution Center's 2007 Liberty Medal was awarded jointly to Bono, U2 lead singer and activist, and DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), the advocacy organization he co-founded to combat poverty and disease in Africa.

The prestigious Medal, and its accompanying $100,000 prize, recognized Bono and DATA’s groundbreaking work in raising awareness about and spurring a global response to the crisis of AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa. (All of the prize money was donated to DATA.)

About The Liberty Medal

The Liberty Medal annually honors an individual or an organization from anywhere in the world that has "demonstrated leadership and vision in the pursuit of liberty of conscience or freedom from oppression, ignorance, or deprivation."