June 29, 2005Who are the 1000 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 all forms of 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. Some are members of their governments or are active on the international scene. To be nominated they had to fulfil 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 1000 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 http://www.1000peacewomen.org/.
Who are the US 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, North Carolina, and New Jersey.
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Roselle Bailey Ellen Barry Cynthia Basinet Medea Benjamin Rosalie Bertell Elise Boulding Charlotte Bunch Betty Burkes Linda Burnham Mandy Carter |
Kate Donnelly Marta Drury Terry Greenblatt Roma Guy Aileen Hernandez Noeleen Heyzer Sharon Hutchinson Swanee Hunt Yuri Kochiyama Congresswoman Barbara Lee |
Alice Hyman Lynch Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney Hadayai Majeed Elizabeth €œBetita€ Martinez Kate Michelman Anne Firth Murray Holly Near Chris Norwood Grace Paley Betty Reardon |
Jane Roberts & Lois Abraham Dorothy Rupert Andrea Smith Barbara Smith Candi Smucker Susan Sygall Mary Elizabeth Thunder Kip Tiernan Maria Varela Cora Weiss |
Two individuals and one organization from Puerto Rico were nominated as well. They are:
Puerto Rico:
Nilda Medina-Diaz
Maria Reinat-Pumarejo
Alianza de Mujeres Viequenses
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 1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize and 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 1000 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 1000 women
The 1000 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 travelling exhibit is planned as well. Texts and pictures documenting the 1000 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 1000 women€™s names by the Association 1000 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 publicise the names of the 1000 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, E-Mail:
mokazawa@mills.edu. Further information and media documentation at
http://www.101000 Women for the Nobel Peace .ems 00peacewomen.org/.
This year 1000 women from more than 150 countries are jointly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Association 1000 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 1000 inspiring biographies known to the public, a book about the 1000 women will be published and a travelling 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 http://www.1000peacewomen.org/.