Four activists were on Tuesday named co-winners of the 2009 Right Livelihood Award, the so-called “alternative Nobel”, for their work in campaigning against nuclear weapons, protecting the rain forests of Congo, raising awareness about climate change and campaigning for women’s health.“The overarching topic for this year is survival,” said Ole von Uexkull, director of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation.Alyn Ware of New Zealand, Rene Ngongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and David Suzuki of Canada share the award with Australian-born physician Catherine Hamlin. Mr. Ware, Mr. Ngongo and Mr. Hamlin were each to receive €50,000 euros ($73,000) in cash while Mr. Suzuki was to receive an honorary prize.Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull created the prize in 1980 “to honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today”.The awards are to be presented at a ceremony in the Swedish Parliament on December 4.
Mr. Ware was cited by the jury for his role in promoting peace work in New Zealand, including drafting peace study guidelines that became part of the school curriculum. Mr. Ngongo has since 1994 braved threats to expose “destructive mining and logging” operations that threaten rain forests, which play a key role in the global climate system. Mr. Suzuki was cited for promoting the “socially responsible use of science” and raising awareness about climate change, not the least as anchorman of a television programme about science. Ms. Hamlin has helped restore “the health, hope and dignity of thousands of Africa’s poorest women,” according to the jury, referring to her efforts to treat complications linked to child birth in Ethiopia.
The 2008 award was shared by: Monika Hauser, founder of the Germany-based group Medica Mondiale, which has worked with women and girls in war and post-war conflict zones; Krishnammal and Sankaralingam Jagannathan of India and their organisation Land for Tillers’ Freedom (LAFTI); U.S. journalist Amy Goodman, who founded the daily grassroots global TV/radio news hour Democracy Now!; and Asha Hagi of Somalia, who gave women a voice in the peace process in Somalia. — DPA
The Hindu, 14th October 2009
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