Notes from Sweden

This year’s “Alternative Nobel Prizes”:

The 2006 Right Livelihood Honorary Award goes to Chico Whitaker Ferreira (Brazil), “for a lifetime’s dedicated work for social justice that has strengthened democracy in Brazil and helped give birth to the World Social Forum, showing that ‘another world is possible’”.

.

The 2006 Right Livelihood Award of SEK 2 million is shared between three recipients:

.

Daniel Ellsberg (USA), whose ‘whistleblowing’ helped end the Vietnam War, is awarded “for putting peace and truth first, at considerable personal risk, and dedicating his life to inspiring others to follow his example.”

.

Ruth Manorama (India) is the sub-continent’s most effective organiser of and advocate for Dalit women, belonging to the ’scheduled castes’ sometimes also called ‘untouchables’. The Jury honors Manorama, a Dalit herself, “for her commitment over decades to achieving equality for Dalit women, building effective and committed women’s organizations and working for their rights at national and international levels.”

.

The Festival Internacional de Poesia de Medellin (Colombia) is a unique poetry festival, which has helped build peace in one of the most violent cities in the world. The jury recognizes the Festival “for showing how creativity, beauty, free expression and community can flourish amongst and overcome even deeply entrenched fear and violence.”

.

Prize founder Jakob von Uexkull: “The 2006 Right Livelihood Awards call on us all to speak up and act now for truth, non-violence and justice. The recipients demonstrate how individual courage, even in the face of powerful interests and repression, can bring about remarkable changes.”

.

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 honor and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today”.

Right Livelihood Award: 2006 Award Announcement.