Nuclear free work gains international recognition

14 October 2009 Media Statement  
      
New Zealander’s nuclear free work gains international recognition      
       

Kiwi peace activist Alyn Ware has been recognised internationally for his work to rid the world of nuclear weapons, says Phil Twyford MP chair of the cross-party parliamentarians group on nuclear disarmament.

Alyn Ware is one of three people to receive the Right Livelihood Award established by Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull to recognize work he felt was being ignored by the Nobel Prizes.

“It is great to see Alyn gaining international recognition for his outstanding efforts. He is one of the world’s most accomplished and effective peace campaigners,” Phil Twyford said.

“Alyn Ware was active in the peace movement’s campaign in the early 1980s to turn NZ nuclear-free one suburb at a time.  He pioneered peace education in schools driving the length and breadth of the country in a van, and founded the Cool School peer mediation project. 

“For many years based in New York he was one of the most savvy and well connected NGO lobbyists at the UN.

“Along with other New Zealand peace campaigners he was a prime mover in the World Court Project which won a declaratory judgement from the International Court of Justice that nuclear weapons are illegal and that the nuclear weapons states have a legal obligation to disarm.

"He is also the coordinator of the highly effective international  network Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.

“It is an extraordinary contribution to promoting world peace."

In awarding Alyn Ware the peace prize Jakob von Uexkull said Alyn Ware was ‘one of the world’s most effective peace workers. The jury recognised his effective and creative advocacy over two decades to further peace education and to rid the world of nuclear weapons.’

“The recognition of Alyn Ware's work is well deserved and long overdue,” Phil Twyford said.

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