Sydney Peace Prize
The Sydney Peace Prize is awarded by the Sydney Peace Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation associated with the University of Sydney.
The City of Sydney is a major supporter of the Sydney Peace Prize. This involves a significant financial contribution along with other in-kind support in order to foster peace with justice.
Over three months each year, the Sydney Peace Prize jury – comprising seven individuals who represent corporate, media, academic and community sector interests – assesses the merits of the nominees' efforts to promote peace with justice. It is awarded to an organisation or individual:
- who has made significant contributions to global peace including improvements in personal security and steps towards eradicating poverty, and other forms of structural violence
- whose role and responsibilities enable the recipient to use the prize to further the cause of peace with justice
- whose work illustrates the philosophy and principles of non-violence
The jury has been prepared to make some controversial choices. Sydney Peace Foundation Director, Emeritus Professor Stuart Rees, said "The initiators of the Sydney Peace Prize aimed to influence public interest in peace with justice, an ideal which is often perceived as controversial. The choice of a non-controversial candidate for a peace prize would be a safe option but unlikely to prompt debate or to increase understanding. Consensus usually encourages compliance, often anaesthetises and seldom informs."[1]
Prize winners
- 1998 – Professor Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank for the poor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient
- 1999 – Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize recipient
- 2000 – Xanana Gusmão, the poet-artist and president of East Timor
- 2001 – Sir William Deane, the former Governor-General of Australia[2]
- 2002 – Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- 2003 – Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian academic and human rights campaigner
- 2004 – Arundhati Roy, Indian novelist and peace activist
- 2005 – Olara Otunnu, United Nations Under Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict from Uganda
- 2006 – Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International
- 2007 – Hans Blix, chairman of the UN Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission
- 2008 – Patrick Dodson, chairman of the Lingiari Foundation
- 2009 – John Pilger, Australian journalist and documentary maker
- 2010 – Vandana Shiva, Indian social justice and environmental activist, eco-feminist and author
- 2011 – Noam Chomsky, American linguist and activist
- 2012 – Sekai Holland, Zimbabwean Senator[3]
- 2013 – Cynthia Maung, Burmese doctor[4]
- 2014 – Julian Burnside, Australian barrister, human rights and refugee advocate[5]
- 2015 – George Gittoes, Australian artist who chronicles conflicts around the world
Gold medal for Peace with Justice
The foundation also occasionally awards a special gold medal for significant contributions to peace and justice. There have only been four recipients of this award in the foundation's fourteen-year history: South African statesman Nelson Mandela, 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, Japanese Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda, and Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange.[6]
References
- ↑ Rees, Stuart (28 October 2004) "Peace is about justice, not just violence", in The Sydney Morning Herald accessdate=1 January 2015
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Sydney Peace Prize Lecture: Justice for Indigenous People: The Peace Priority PDF
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ SBS: "Julian Burnside selected to receive Sydney Peace Prize", 26 May 2014
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
