'10 Right Livelihood Awards honour power of change
2010 Right Livelihood Awards honour the power
of change from the grassroots
The 2010 Right Livelihood
Awards go to four recipients who will share the € 200.000
cash award:
NNIMMO BASSEY (Nigeria) receives an Award “for revealing the full ecological and human horrors of oil production and for his inspired work to strengthen the environmental movement in Nigeria and globally”.
Bishop ERWIN KRÄUTLER (Brazil) is honoured “for a lifetime of work for the human and environmental rights of indigenous peoples and for his tireless efforts to save the Amazon forest from destruction”.
SHRIKRISHNA UPADHYAY and the organisation SAPPROS (Nepal) are recognised “for demonstrating over many years the power of community mobilisation to address the multiple causes of poverty even when threatened by political violence and instability”.
The organisation PHYSICIANS
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS-ISRAEL (Israel) is awarded
“for their indomitable spirit in working for the right
to health for all people in Israel and
Palestine”.
Quote
Jakob von Uexkull, Founder
and Co-Chair of the Right Livelihood
Awards, noted after
the jury decision:
“True change starts at the
grassroots level: physicians who did not wait for
politicians before acting to end unnecessary suffering in
the Middle East; villagers who work themselves out of
poverty; and environmental movements which unite the victims
of ecological devastation. Combine this work on the ground
with targeted advocacy, for example for the constitutional
rights of indigenous people, and you understand why this
year’s Right Livelihood Award Laureates yet again offer
role models, whose work and commitment can be replicated
throughout the world.”
Background
Founded in
1980 the Right Livelihood Awards are presented annually in
the Swedish Parliament and are often referred to as
'Alternative Nobel Prizes'. They were introduced "to honour
and support those offering practical and exemplary answers
to the most urgent challenges facing us today".
Jakob von
Uexkull, a Swedish-German professional philatelist, sold his
business
to provide the original funding. Since then,
the Award has been financed by
individual donors.
This
year, there were 120 proposals from 51 countries, whereof 69
candidates
from "developing" countries.
At the press
conference
* Marianne Andersson, Member
of the Board and Jury of the Right Livelihood Award
Foundation
* Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation
Important Dates: Award Ceremony and press conference
with the 2010 Laureates
A press conference with the 2010
Recipients will be held at the International Press Centre of
the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm on
Monday, December 6th, at 9:30 am.
The Award Ceremony in
the Swedish Parliament will be held the same day at 6
pm.
Further information, high-resolution pictures & TV
footage
Further information, the Foundation's logo and
photos of the recipients can be
accessed via
www.rightlivelihood.org
For videos and
high-resolution pictures please also refer to
download.rightlivelihood.org
ENDS