Below a copy of today’s (English language) press release regarding this year’s awardees :
2003 Right Livelihood Awards to Pioneers for a Saner World.
The 2003 Right Livelihood Awards go to individuals and organisations from New Zealand, the Philippines,South Korea and Egypt working for disarmament, justice, partnership and environmental sustainability.
The 2003 Right Livelihood Honorary Award honours New Zealand’s former Prime Minister David Lange, whom the Jury recognises "for his steadfast work over many years for a world free of nuclear weapons"
Four recipients share the 2003 Right Livelihood cash Award of SEK 2 million:
· Walden Bello and Nicanor Perlas from the Philippines play crucial and complementary roles in developing the theoretical and practical bases for a world order that benefits all people. The Jury honours Bello and Perlas "for their outstanding efforts in educating civil society about the effects of corporate globalisation, and how alternatives to it can be implemented".
· The Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice(South Korea) has since 1989 worked successfully to make Korean economic development more just, inclusive and democratic. The Jury commends "the rigour with which it has developed and disseminated its wide-ranging reform programme, based on social justice and accountability and the skill with which it is now applying the same values to promoting reconciliation with North Korea".
· SEKEM (Egypt) shows how a modern business can combine profitability and engagement in world markets with a humane and spiritual approach to people and respect for the natural environment. The Jury sees in SEKEM "a business model for the 21st century in which commercial success is integrated with and promotes the social and cultural development of society through the ‘economics of love’ ".
Further details about the work of these recipients is given on separate sheets.
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 honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today". Jakob von Uexkull, a Swedish-German philatelic expert, sold his valuable postage stamps to provide the original endowment. Alfred Nobel wanted to honour those whose work "brought the greatest benefit to humanity". Von Uexkull felt that the Nobel Prizes today ignore much work and knowledge vital for our world and future.
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A Press Conference with the recipients will be held in Stockholm on Thursday, December 4th. The award presentation ceremony in the Swedish Parliament will be held on December 8th. . NB. German Press: All recipients will be in Berlin December 9th to 12th. Contact: Heinrich Boell Foundation.
For further information and photos of the 2003 Award recipients, including contact addresses:
Kerstin Bennett, Administrative Director
Right Livelihood Award, Stockholm
Telephone: +46 (0)8-702 03 40
Fax: +46 (0)8-702 03 38
E-mail: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
I can’t recall reading any postings from Agorists from the Philippines or South Korea, but I do believe we have active members from New Zealand. Congratulations on your illustrious countryman !...
[quote author=KatyBr link=board=omni;num=1065100077;start=0#1 date=10/02/03 at 12:34:56][center]...[/center] Now that we have no more Nuclear threat, complete globalization, Justice restored in Korea, and Modern businesses all operate onlove and consideration, we can move onto bigger problems. :D[center]...[/center]
Not that I’m privy to the inner deliberations of those who hand out the Right Livelihood Award, Katy, but my guess is that they are under no illusion that this year’s recipients have solved the problems you mention. Rather, I think, these latter were given the award because they have worked and are working to do so. Perhaps we others should also lend a hand, and become squeaky wheels ourselves ?...
While I do detect a certain snippiness in this thread, I wouldn’t be Palewriter if I didn’t jump in with both feet foremost and my mouth wide open ready to receive them.
The 2003 Right Livelihood Awards to Pioneers for a Saner World sounds suspiciously to me like some Swedish invention designed to give everyone who hasn’t already got one a bad conscience.
Swedes (and I count myself among them, still being a citizen) are truly outstanding at this kind of thing. Let’s give an anti-nuclear-war prize to someone from…let’s see….Zambia? No….er…Malta? There’s that guy in Tibet…No….oh…New Zealand! That’s it!
OK. While we’re at it, we’ll have a "Let’s-‘tut-tut’-about-something nasty" Award, too. Hm. There’s that guy in Calcutta who carves peace symbols out of recycled ammuition crates with this teeth. No. Too dental. Wait, what about that misunderstood scientist in Quebec who invented edible shaving creme made from peanut shells? Too esoteric, perhaps. Ah! There’s that Inuit poet who writes in snow. She’s very photogenic and has no obvious ties to the American Republican Party. She’s the one! We’ll give her a half million kronor and invite her to Stockholm to shake hands with the King and some of our famous people. Think of the photo ops! The press releases!
The underlying tactic here, I think, is to create an event designed to make people actually give a poop about where Sweden might possibly be located (don’t they make cuckoo clocks there, or was it chocolate?) and bolstering that very comforting image of Really Caring about Stuff.
(‘Scuse my cynicism, but I come from the trenches.)
While we’re at it, let’s give Monaco a big hand for NOT deciding to invade Iraq. <applause>
[quote author=M._Henri_Day link=board=omni;num=1065100077;start=0#5 date=10/04/03 at 11:05:58]My humble task in life seems to be to inspire PW and Katy to their postings. Not much, perhaps, but as Katy says,
Henri
Were Henri not already a feckful physician he might have made a fine fisherman or a terrific trapper, so successful is he at trolling and baiting traps . . . ::)
[quote author=Stargzer link=board=omni;num=1065100077;start=0#6 date=10/05/03 at 06:13:57]Were Henri not already a feckful physician he might have made a fine fisherman or a terrific trapper, so successful is he at trolling and baiting traps . . . ::)
I’m entirely too tender-hearted, Larry—just ask my forensic patients….
It is easy to be cynical about awards that recognise "alternative views" of the world. We see so many things that do not work and we also seem to think that nothing really makes a difference. Nevertheless, I think it is important to recognise that there are people trying to make a difference and approaching problems from a different point of view.
On the other hand, some years ago, I think it was 1996, I had dinner with this recipient of the award. Nice guy, but theory and practice were a bit out of synchrony. ;)
...we all have a job to do, no one’s job is more important, except in one’s own eyes.
That is a nice philosophy (thanks KatyBr) for people with crummy jobs.
But society recognises (through salaries, status, job security or lack of it, number of people willing or unwilling to do it, etc) that some jobs are better considered than others. A completely different matter is that one decides to perform a job with dignity. The fact that you give your best while flipping hamburgers at fast food chain, does not transform that job in a monument to creativity or personal development (well, you could learn patience) or makes it less crummy.
[quote author=Palewriter link=board=omni;num=1065100077;start=0#4 date=10/03/03 at 23:55:47]- PW
whose heart is really in the right place
Hmmm… Your posting makes that a little hard to detect. Isn’t the right place for the heart, in any case, on the left?
Why all this animus for Sweden anyway? I last travelled Russia four years ago and grew hartily sick of tour guides’ continual horror stories of Swedish aggression. I asked one of them if German aggression wasn’t rather more to the point in the overall history of Russia, but this only produced blushing confusion: the answer to my question was not in the prepared script. It’s almost as if in the new capitalist Russia (where I saw facing buildings in Novosibirsk proclaiming "Coca Cola!" and "Glory to Labour!") they have decided to adopt Sweden as their safe target for all their historical frustrations. And Swedes it was who founded Russia in the first place! (Whoops: now PW will say: see, I told you those Swedes were commies all along…)
no axe to grind here, but the whole idea of looking down at others is a pet peeve of mine.
It is not a matter of looking down to people. I may think that, for example, driving taxis at 3 am is a crummy job (I like to go to bed early and I don’t particularly enjoy driving), but it doesn’t mean that I think you are stupid or less valuable as a person because you drive taxis at 3am. If in reality society considered all jobs equally important they would probably be remunerated in similar way (and we would be in a communist state).
By the way, what is this ‘stoopid’ thing that I’ve been reading lately in the Agora? Some sort of fashion?
Isn’t the right place for the heart, in any case, on the left?
I think it depends whether you mean geographically or politically.
Swedes it was who founded Russia in the first place!
That’s certainly news to me and probably to the Swedes as well. Would you care to expand?
Why all this animus for Sweden anyway?
It’s really not animus for Sweden. I hold a Swedish passport. In many ways I love Sweden (and I lived there for 20 years and liked most of it). I do have a problem with mealy-mouthed holier-than-thouness. Regretably, at least as far as the international stage is concerned, it’s almost a national passtime.
That’s certainly news to me and probably to the Swedes as well. Would you care to expand?
Oh, and I thought that was common knowledge. Apparently it depends on where you live. Anyway, here’s a short version about it I managed to google up (russia +vikings) hastily:
The beginning of the Russian - Scandinavian relationship dated from the 9th century is described in the Russian Primary Chronicle written by Orthodox monks. At that time, different Slav tribes lived in the North - West of Russia along the Neva and the Volkhov rivers as well as around the lakes Ladoga and Ilmen. The great Russian plain covered with forest and grassland was ideal for hunting, fishery and agriculture. Also it represented real trade crossroads between Northern Europe and Byzantine Empire. That was one of the reasons to build there the town of Novgorod which was a capital of the Old Northern Russia and an important commercial centre.
In 862 the Slavs, exhausted by uninterrupted inter-tribal wars, made the following proposal to the Rus (a name borrowed from the Finns to designate the Swedes): "Our country is rich and immense, but it is rent by disorder. Come and govern us and reign over us".
Three Swedish Vikings responded and came to Russia. Rurik became governor of Novgorod, Sineus settled down in Beloozerg and Truvor in Izborsk. Two years later Sineus and Truvor both died and Rurik extended his rule over the whole country. Later two of his lieutenants went down to Kiev, nearly six hundred miles away, and conquered it. In 882 Oleg, Rurik’s successor, came to Kiev in his turn. Having established his own leadership over numerous towns and tribes Oleg strengthened considerably the new Russian State and became its master. The new capital, Kiev, little by little became one of the richest towns in Europe.
Rurik’s successors became a ruling dynasty in Russia for more than 700 years.
I do remember watching quite a good movie (full of propaganda though) around 15 years ago: Alexander Nevsky (1938), by Russian director Eisenstein and music by Prokofiev. It narrates the struggle to regain the country from the Teutonic Knights (battle of Ice of Lake 1242). Before that, Nevsky battled with the Sweds (Battle on Neva, 1240). Check here for some more detail.
[quote author=uncronopio link=board=omni;num=1065100077;start=0#8 date=10/05/03 at 17:49:38][center]...[/center]On the other hand, some years ago, I think it was 1996, I had dinner with this recipient of the award. Nice guy, but theory and practice were a bit out of synchrony. ;)
Doubt if I shall ever have the opportunity to sup (not even in the Swedish sense !) with Mr Lange, but he was nice enough to reply to my letter congratulating him :
Dear Dr Day,
It was delightful to receive your congratulations the more so because it was the first e-mail message I received.
It is somewhat disturbing to look nback over the last 25 years and see that none of the nuclear powers have yielded to sense.
Thank you
David Lange
——- Original Message——-
From: "Day M. Henri" [...]
To: <lange@hudcorp.co.nz>
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 2:36 AM
Subject: Right Livelihood Award
2003.10.02
Excellency,
Please allow me to congratulate you on receiving this year’s Honorary Award.
I regard the work that you have done with respect to nuclear disarmament—alas, hitherto largely unpublicised and unknown among the general population here in Scandinavia—as vital for our survival on the planet. Let us hope that this year’s award will lead to greater awareness and discussion of this issue, and in particular of the threat that the possession of large numbers of nuclear weapons by certain highly aggressive states constitutes to us all !
[...]
Like Señor Max-Neef, Mr Lange would indeed seem to be a rather nice chap….
Not to worry, Katy ! Surely nothing more serious than just another case of overcompensation on the part of those poor peoples who don’t have certain weapon systems, as Bernard Baruch once said, «ostentatiously balancing on our hip[s]»....
