Alternative Award, to the Nobel Peace Prize, Winners Announced

by sara star | October 13, 2009 at 04:39 am

488 views | 76 Recommendations | 19 comments

"Despite the scientific warnings about the imminent threat and disastrous impacts of climate change and despite our knowledge about solutions, the global response to this crisis is still painfully slow and largely inadequate. At the same time, the threat from nuclear weapons has by no means diminished, and the treatable diseases of poverty shame our common humanity."

Forget Norway, let's talk about Sweden, who started the Alternative Award, whereby anyone can nominate anyone for their work in humanity, unlike the elitist group the NPP. Started in 1980, this year it has recognized four humanitarians who have worked tireless for concrete results.

The award was founded by the Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull in 1980 to recognise work he felt was being ignored by the Nobel Prizes.

The 2009 Right Livelihood Awards go to four recipients

David Suzuki (Honorary Award, Canada) "for his lifetime advocacy of the socially responsible use of science, and for his massive contribution to raising awareness about the perils of climate change and building public support for policies to address it".

René Ngongo (Democratic Republic of Congo) is honoured "for his courage in confronting the forces that are destroying the Congo's rainforests and building political support for their conservation and sustainable use".

Alyn Ware (New Zealand) is recognised "for his effective and creative advocacy and initiatives over two decades to further peace education and to rid the world of nuclear weapons".

Catherine Hamlin (Ethiopia) is awarded "for her fifty years dedicated to treating obstetric fistula patients, thereby restoring the health, hope and dignity of thousands of Africa's poorest women".

Among last years winners were

Sankaralingam Jagannathan and his wife Krishnammal, who run an organisation called Land for the Tillers' Freedom, to improve the social status of India's Dalit people, also known as the untouchables.

Postal Address

Right Livelihood Award Foundation
PO Box 15072
104 65 Stockholm
Sweden

Street address:
Right Livelihood Award Foundation
Hornsgatan 15
118 46 Stockholm
Sweden

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albertacowpoke

at 04:52 on October 13th, 2009

David Suzuki is definitely a better choice than Al Gore any day. He is compassionate and walks the talk.

Hugh Askew

at 05:00 on October 13th, 2009

My wife's cat is a better choice than Al Gore. It actually conserves energy by covering it's nose with it's tail on chilly mornings. Like to see Albert do that - seriously.

sara star

at 05:02 on October 13th, 2009

Takayoshi Suzuki has had the guts to stand up to the life-destroying coorporations, unlike our own government. I hope his runs for Prime Minister some day.

Suzuki asserted that Canada should be branded amongst the "international outlaws" for reneging on Kyoto agreements, and dismissed as "a lot of baloney"

albertacowpoke

at 05:40 on October 13th, 2009

I admire him for his dedication to the environment and bringing the issue forefront, but Prime Minister, really?

Governments have to deal with the reality of spending taxpayers funds and it.s always a few balls they need to balance.

The previous Liberal government under Jean Chretien signed the Kyota accord but green house gas emissions had increased form the signing and the end of their tenure.

Even the good ole Bush anti-environment Administration reduced more green house gases than the previous Liberal government.

As sad as it is, it always boils down to dollars and cents and the question by politicians, will it hurt me politically?

The election campaign that was conducted by Stephan Dion was based on the environment, when Canadians found out what it would cost them (even though the Environment was supposed to be their number one priority) and rejected it.

Just as an aside, talking environment, I live out in the country, about three miles from a designated natural area. The place is overtaken by quads and dirt bikes every weekend. The garbage deposited there by city folks is something else. I won.t even count the beer bottles and MacDonald's wrappers and Timmi Cups on the road.

Both the county and Province pass the buck saying the other is responsible. So much for the environment. Looking after the environment starts with the people, not the government.

How many people have flat screen tvs that require three times the energy of a normal tv.

I.m not a saint either and I.m sure we all have things we can improve on. But it is us who has to make the change.

sara star

at 06:20 on October 13th, 2009

Thanks ACP for your view. I have to disagree.

I think it takes more balls to stand up for the earth and the environment. Maybe it may cost a little more initially, but in the long run, the payoff will be much greater.

I think Stephan Dion was ahead of his time, as history will play out. I know most do not agree with me. The majority have spoken (I think), but it doesn't make it right.

Someone, somewhere will have to pay the piper. How many of us have to get sick before we wake up?

I am ashamed of our country's track record on the environment, because we are more concerned about the mighty dollar. If it was another country, we would be in an uproar!

I am proud of Suzuki!

albertacowpoke

at 10:27 on October 13th, 2009

What are you disagreeing with? The fact that looking after environment has to start with the people? If they don't show the way and demand the same of the corporations nothing will happen regardless of Kyoto or Copenhagen.

I said I admired David Suzuki and that he is very deserving of this award. I won.t go as far as being ashamed of this country and I don't believe in every myth about other countries that try to showcase the good things they do about the environment and hide others.

I have traveled extensively in the world and have seen a lot. This is still one of the best countries in the world to live in.

I am also proud of my country and never ashamed.

sara star

at 11:31 on October 13th, 2009

Disagreeing that Suzuki would make a great PM... and it's OK to disagree.

albertacowpoke

at 13:54 on October 13th, 2009

Yes it is ok to disagree. It's just that I incorporated a lot of information in my comment and wasn't sure what you disagreed with.

Hugh Askew

at 04:58 on October 13th, 2009

Nice article, sara. I wasn't aware of the alternative awards.

Elizabeth Sophia (not verified)

at 06:33 on October 13th, 2009

Nice article, sara star. Impacts of climate change and despite our knowledge about solutions.

sara star

at 07:20 on October 13th, 2009

I am not familiar with the other recipients, but I had heard of the work done by Catherine Hamlin.

The fistulas these women get from childbirthing are debilitating, and the women are outcast because they smell due to urine leaking out continuously.

A sad condition, but thanks to Ms. Hamlin's efforts, many can go on with their lives.

Blue Crush

at 08:06 on October 13th, 2009

I'd never heard of the Right Livelihood Award, but it's great to see it go to David Suzuki.

According to his website, previous Canadian winners include Maude Barlow, Tony Clarke, Rosalie Bertell, Pat Mooney and Percy & Louise Schmeiser.

sara star

at 08:25 on October 13th, 2009

Thanks for the website... Good article on Kyoto not being Dead, and the implications of Canada breaking international law!

Rumours of Kyoto’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

So why all the talk about Kyoto’s demise? Well, some countries would like the Protocol to go away, no country more than Canada. The Canadian government decided three years ago that we wouldn’t even try to comply with this international agreement. Rather than break international law, the Canadian government would prefer to simply wipe it away.

patgarcia

at 08:13 on October 13th, 2009

Thanks! I didn´t know a thing about these alternative Awards. I´m glad they exist.

Arbol

at 08:55 on October 13th, 2009

Thanks for this, Sara. I like the winners, but I still would like to see Denis Mukwege somewhere in the list. Hope someday, somehow, he wins something!! Anyhow, what's Michael Jackson's video got to do with the article? lol

sara star

at 10:39 on October 13th, 2009

Wonderful work he does.

Playwright and V-Day founder Eve Ensler, and Congolese gynecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege, founder of one of the only hospitals that treats victims of rape and mutilation. Dr. Mukwege has helped over 21,000 women in the past decade and was named African of the Year by a Nigerian newspaper last month.

jakesylvester1

at 09:46 on October 13th, 2009

An extremely interesting article. I, too, had never heard of the award before. The winners, just from the short description, sound worthy of winning. It would be good just to know who else was in the "competition"; to learn of others who lead lives and careers with compassion and self-giving as a part. Oddly enough, our small city newspaper runs David Suzuki's syndicated column every week, but as a Canadian, I've known his work for decades. Even if you take a different stance on the environment, his zeal and hard work are inspirational. Great to hear about the other three winners and their projects/campaigns.

witness to the hidden evil (not verified)

at 11:35 on October 13th, 2009

Confronting an obvious injustice or evil is easy. Confronting a hidden evil, or perhaps the all-pervasive Hidden Evil, is much harder. Nobody gets awards for that. The people issuing the awards are part of the Hidden Evil, or don't want to believe it exists.The greatest evils are necessarily hidden, because if they were out in the open everyone would rise up and oppose them; no 'activism' would be required.What if I told you that pedophile rings operate openly in the United States, with the blessing of a certain US intelligence agency? What if I told you that the children subjects of these rings are kidnapped or taken from their parents under the force of blackmail, and then 'rented' or 'loaned' to powerful politicians, business leaders, and religious figures; some of whom you see on TV every night? What if I told you that this barely scratches the surface of the Hidden Evil?I think you'd prefer to go back to your TV and pretend that everything is as the hyponotically alluring electronic glow tells you; that there are problems, certainly, but our trusted authority figures are working feverishly to solve them.