1,000 Women Are Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005
One-thousand women from more than 150 countries - including 40 women from the U.S. - have been jointly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. As of today the names of the 1,000 women can be found at www.1000peacewomen.org.
Oakland, Calif. (PRWEB) June 29, 2005 -- One-thousand women from more than
150 countries have been jointly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. As of
today the names of the 1,000 women can be found at www.1000peacewomen.org.
The number 1,000 is symbolic, as the 1,000 nominated women represent innumerable
women worldwide who are engaged in the cause of peace and human
dignity.
Who are the 1,000 peace women?
The nominated women commit
themselves daily to the cause of peace and justice, often under the most
difficult circumstances. They call for reconciliation and organize peace
negotiations, they rebuild what has been destroyed in villages and cities, they
fight against poverty and create new sources of income. They struggle for access
to clean water, land and other resources. They care for those infected with HIV
and give war orphans a home. They denounce violations of human rights and
publicly condemn torture. They silently protest in public places and seek
solutions to all forms of aggression.
They work in their own villages and
regions, in organizations and universities. They are members of their
governments or are active on the international scene. To be nominated they had
to fulfill stringent criteria, such as: sustainability of their work, integrity,
the inclusion of all parties to a conflict, or being part of a wide
network.
The 1,000 women are leaders, they are beacons of hope for their
people, they are demanding and do not give up. Their short biographies can be
read at www.1000peacewomen.org.
Who are the U.S.
nominees?
Forty women were nominated. The states represented include
California, Minnesota, Colorado, Massachusetts, Texas, Oregon, Georgia, New
York, Hawaii, Vermont, Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington, DC, Connecticut, New
Mexico, and New Jersey. Two individuals and one organization from Puerto Rico
were nominated as well.
A challenging idea becomes reality:
The
project began in 2003 as a Swiss initiative. Convinced that the commitment of
women working for peace should be acknowledged and publicly acknowledged
worldwide the idea soon became a project. Organized as an Association 1,000
Women for the Nobel Peace Prize the project has been supported globally by the
untiring work of coordinators and many volunteers in 20 different regions of the
world. They were responsible for the identification and documentation of the
women nominated in their regions. In January of this year the collective
nomination of 1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 was sent to the Peace
Prize Committee in recognition of the women's daily commitment to improving the
lives of present and future generations. And today their names are made
public.
The project has the support of the Swiss Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Micheline Calmy Rey, the support of UNIFEM and UNDP, and is under the
patronage of UNESCO Switzerland. Several donor organizations have assisted the
Association.
Profiling the 1,000 women:
The 1,000 inspiring
biographies will also be published as a book at the end of this year. Hundreds
of journalists all over the world documented the women's work, their visions and
their life stories. The book will serve as a resource for NGOs, governments,
relief organizations, peace networks, women’s networks and agencies.
A
traveling exhibit is planned as well. Texts and pictures documenting the 1,000
women are assembled in a manner to make the exhibit easily accessible anywhere
in the world.
An interactive online platform will enable the women to
network and make their biographies readily available.
Academics have
initiated research about the specific approaches of women who made peace work
their life's work. The results of this research will provide valuable
information to civil societies, international organizations, and governments.
The Nobel Peace Prize Committee:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee
will probably announce on October 14, 2005 who will receive this year’s Nobel
Peace Prize. Today’s publication of the 1,000 women’s names by the Association
1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 is to serve the long-term public
awareness of these women’s work and is not intended to influence in any way the
decision of the Nobel Committee.
Press conferences worldwide:
Press conferences to publicize the names of the 1,000 Women for the
Nobel Peace Prize 2005 are taking place from Fiji to California, from Germany to
Brazil.
Contact:
Dr. Margo Okazawa-Rey, Director, Women’s
Leadership Institute
Visiting Professor, Women’s Studies
Mills College,
Oakland, CA 94613
Cell phone: +1 415 637 4263
Further information and
media documentation at www.1000peacewomen.org.
Summary:
This year 1,000
women from more than 150 countries are jointly nominated for the Nobel Peace
Prize. The Association 1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 wants to
publicize the wealth of strategies, procedures for conflict resolution and
methods of negotiation that women all over the world develop in order to deal
with the various socio-political issues and problems in their respective
regions. In order to make 1,000 inspiring biographies known to the public, a
book about the 1,000 women will be published and a traveling exhibit will be
ready by the end of this year. An interactive online platform will enable the
women’s networking and make their biographies readily available. The project
needs financial support. Further information can be found at www.1000peacewomen.org.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb255738.htm