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Illuminating the paths to a positive future

!e www.rightlivelihood.org Protecting Environments Defending Developing Alternatives Preserving Resources Fighting Poverty Holistic !inking Supporting Indigenous Peoples Expressing Solidarity Forming the Future O"ering Solutions Projects of Hope ew Delhi, April 17, 2006. It is the 20th day of Medha Patkar’s hunger strike. She Nis weak, and her blood pressure alarmingly low. But she won’t back down. !e Right Livelihood Award Recipient and spokeswoman of the organisation ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ will keep on "ghting for something that she regards as more important than her own health: the rights and lives of people who are threatened by one of the largest and most controversial dam projects ever – the Narmada dams.

Honouring Courage !e Right – even at the risk of their own. Oil kills Livelihood For the Indian villagers, who are still “!e inconveniences which I and the Ogo- Award ho- "ghting for proper rehabilitation, Medha ni su"er, the harassment, arrests, detention, nours people Patkar is a hero. And for the rest of the even death itself are a proper price to pay who grow world, too: men and women like Medha for ending the nightmare of millions of in adversity Patkar and Ken Saro-Wiwa personify our people engulfed by the wasting storms of instead of ideals. !ey represent our highest values denigrating poverty on the sea of dehuma- falling silent. Since 1980, more than 140 and help form our characters. A world nization.” such individuals and organisations from without visions and without heroes, who !ose were the words of Ken Saro-Wiwa, over 60 countries have received the Right make them come real, is a world with- founder of the Nigerian ‘Movement Livelihood Award or ‘Alternative Nobel out hope. !e Right Livelihood Award for the Survival of the Ogoni People’ Prize’ as it is often called. Laureates are role models, who inspire (MOSOP), when he received the Right !ey work for democracy, and and encourage us to dare the seemingly Livelihood Award in December 1994. justice. !ey protect nature and save lives impossible. !e speech was read in his name, be- cause at that time Ken Saro-Wiwa was in jail. Less than one year later, he and eight other members of MOSOP were execu- ted despite international protests. !e "ght that cost their lives was the Ogoni’s struggle for self-determination and justice, against the destructive con- sequences of oil production in the Niger Protecting Delta. !e struggle continues.

Environments 1 sunción, February 2005. “What the Right Livelihood Award Ameant to me?” Martín Almada is sitting on the steps to his veranda. Behind him, in his house, there is a showcase. It contains the pincers and other instruments with which he was tortured un- der the military dictatorship of General Stroessner. In front of him, on the other side of the meadow, sunlight sparkles on the solar cells on his house. “Maybe you should ask: What did the Award mean to my country?” Martín Almada had been searching for evidence of the torture and state terror un- der Stroessner’s regime for years, until he "nally discovered the so-called ‘Archives of Terror.’ !ese documents proved the reign of terror in several South-American military dictatorships and played an important role in the case against the Chilean General Pi- nochet. In 2002, Martín Almada received the Right Livelihood Award for his outstan- ding courage in bringing torturers to justice, and promoting democracy, human rights and . !e prize to him strengthened the cause for human rights in considerably. A smile crosses his face. “Stroessner will not return to Paraguay as a free man,” he says. Indefatigable “If he returns, then in chains. !is is what the Prize has meant.” “Because we Jews know what it is to su"er, we must not oppress others.” Stroessner never returned to Paraguay. He died in exile in in 2006, right on the day when Martín Almada opened the ‘Museum of Memory, the Dictatorship and De- After the Six-Day War in 1967, mocracy’ in what was once one of the Stroessner regime’s clandestine torture centres. lawyer Felicia Langer began defending Palestinians in Israeli military courts. Her commitment brought threats and harassment. When she left 20 years later, it was out of protest against Making a Di#erence the inhumane treatment of the Pales- tinians that she had experienced in the Success for the answers to the most urgent global courts. However, she did not give up: Right Liveli- challenges. It is a prize for people who at countless lectures in Europe and hood Award walk their talk, who have visions and the US, Felicia Langer continues her means win- make them come real against all odds. By campaign for a just peace. ning global protecting such individuals, by providing attention for international recognition and "nancial the stories of support the Right Livelihood Award outstanding people who accomplish the strengthens their impact – and inspires extraordinary: developing exemplary others to follow their path. Defending

2 Human Rights uerillas, paramilitary, government army – since the 1960s their con$ict has Gbrought death and destruction to , with ordinary people being the main victims. In 1987, after many years of su#ering from the violence brought by opposing armed groups, the peasants of the Colombian region of Carare were given four options: side with the military, side with the guerrillas, leave the region or die. But some of them chose a "fth path: !ey took their fate into their own hands and broke out from the logic of violence by refusing to side with any of the armed groups. Even after their leaders were assas- sinated, they did not back down and immediately elected new ones. Armed with an unshakeable commitment to non-violence, the ‘Association of Peasant Farm Workers of Carare’ (ATCC) started to rebuild their region.

Catalyzing Change Redesigning Economics ATCC have “We can change the world for the better. Today, Egyptian cotton is to a great described Just the fact that the Right Livelihood extent pesticide-free. !is is due to how, when Award exists and whom it has honoured, the SEKEM initiative, a business they previous- has motivated many people to follow the model for the 21st century, which was ly wanted to Recipients’ examples – in their personal en- founded by Ibrahim Abouleish to meet visit a mini- vironment, regional, national or internatio- educational, cultural and environmen- stry as poor nal. !us, the Prize has contributed to more tal needs. Organic products, herbal farmers, they sustainability and justice – for humanity, remedies, educational programmes, were stopped the planet and our fellow creatures.” health care, an academy for science before they Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner and arts – at SEKEM, ecological, social could even Honorary President, Club of Rome and cultural life go hand in hand with enter the building. After they received commercial success. the Right Livelihood Award, the minister himself stood waiting on the doorsteps when they came. And this is what the Award is about: opening doors. Developing

Alternatives 3 n 2002, Martin Green received the Right Livelihood Award for his dedication and Ioutstanding success in the harnessing of solar energy, the key technological challenge of our age. Since the early 1980s, a time when most people doubted the e%ciency of solar cell technology, Martin Green has shown that the challenge of creating a future based on renewable energy can be met. Since then, he has been at the forefront of the develop- ment and improvement of photovoltaic technology. It is clear that current energy policies and patterns of energy use are a major cause of global con$ict, insecurity and desta- bilisation of the climate. If it was not for people like Martin Green, who looked and worked ahead while others remained stuck in the past, we would still not know that alternative energy paths are not only possible, but e#ective, too.

!e Right to Water ... … is the right to live. Finding Solutions Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke were among the "rst to realise the risks of !e Right for the consequences of our actions. !us, water privatisation. !ey decided to Livelihood the solutions the Right Livelihood Award counter the growing corporate control Award Foundation honours are not short-term of water by putting the issue onto the Foundation "xes, which pass on the real problems to agenda of NGOs, governments and honours those future generations. !e Right Livelihood people world-wide. !anks to their who "nd Award rewards those addressing the roots work, Uruguay adopted a constitu- solutions to today’s most important chal- of a global problem, not just its symp- tional amendment by referendum in lenges. It does not believe that technology toms. 2004. It declared access to water and can cure everything, but holds a more !e Foundation’s task is to "nd people sanitation to be a fundamental human balanced perception of what we need like Martin Green and to spread their right, and that, in the creation of water and what works. Right Livelihood means knowledge and support their work – for policies, social and ecological consi- that each person should follow an honest why should we continue living with prob- derations must take precedence over occupation that respects other people and lems we can solve? economic pro"ts. the natural world. It implies responsibility Six years later, in 2010, the UN Ge- neral Assembly with a majority of 122 states agreed to a resolution declaring the human right to “safe and clean drinking water and sanitation“. Preserving

4 Resources n 2010, the Right Livelihood Award Foundation invited all Prize Recipients to a Iconference commemorating its 30th anniversary. !e conference’s guiding motto was: Changing Course – Reclaiming our Future.

In response to the invitation, some 80 Laureates convened in Bonn, , to share experiences and ideas, and to launch joint initiatives. Professors from Africa, spiritual leaders from Asia, environmentalists, representatives of farmers’ and landless’ movements, entrepreneurs, and human rights activists – during the conference they met with experts, students, and the public. !ey all shared the same goal: to change course. Music against Poverty When José Antonio Abreu takes up Celebrating Diversity his baton, he does not forget about the world outside the concert halls. It stays As diverse as !e Right Livelihood Award does not right next to him – in the children, the faces of know any categories. In striving to meet the youths who come from ’s the Award are the challenges of today’s world, the Prize streets and poorest neighbourhoods the projects recognises that the most inspiring and re- and "nd a future in the orchestras they stand for. markable work often de"es any standard Maestro Abreu founded. A vocation !e Lau- classi"cation. far away from the drugs, poverty and reates work crime, which would otherwise be part for social justice and human rights, for “!e Right Livelihood Award aims to of their daily lives. peace and disarmament, for minority help the North #nd a wisdom to match its Development work, human rights, rights, for the protection of the environ- science, and the South to #nd a science to poverty alleviation and con$ict healing ment and for human development – from match its ancient wisdom.” do not normally represent a musician’s cultural and spiritual renewal to science Jakob von Uexkull successes. But Maestro Abreu is no and technology for the bene"t of all. Founder and Co-Chair, ordinary musician. He knows that the Right Livelihood Award Foundation poor need to overcome cultural as well as material poverty if they are to create Fighting lives with new hope, meaning and joy.

Poverty 5 he Cessna takes a bend to the right and turns east. Ole von Uexkull looks over This shoulder and onto the brown band of the Xingu river that cuts through the endless green of the Brazilian rain forest. Ole is Executive Director of the Right Live- lihood Award Foundation and responsible for researching the candidates proposed for the Award. During the next three days, he will interview the nominee, as well as independent contacts and critics: indigenous people, settlers, journalists, the heads of school and healthcare departments. It is only by listening to di#erent views and opinions that a reliable account of a candidate can be built up.

“!orough research is the basis for our credibility. If we made one mistake in selecting our Recipients, it would not only cause damage to the Foundation but to all Laureates. We cannot rely on nice brochures or impressive titles, or even other awards – we investigate the candidates ourselves, often with personal visits. !is is the only way we can be sure that a candidate quali#es for the Right Livelihood Award.” Science for People Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director Right Livelihood Award Foundation For a professor in physics and director of a high-pro"le scienti"c institution the path to awards and honours seems predestined. But Hans-Peter Dürr Proposals for the Award did not receive the Right Livelihood Award for his research in nuclear Neither a ringing name nor money alone Over a hundred proposals for individuals physics and on elementary particles, makes an award. An award is as good as and organisations from "ve continents are but for his commitment to peace and its recipients. For the Right Livelihood annually sent to the Foundation. After disarmament and the peaceful uses of Award the issue is not a person’s position careful research by the Foundation’s sta# high technology. As a quintessential or job title, it is what they have done and – sometimes in the most remote parts of transdisciplinarian, he remains active seem likely to do in the future. Anyone the planet – the international jury selects in many "elds: from philosophy and can be proposed by anyone else for a the recipients.!e jury members come spirituality via the ethics of science to Right Livelihood Award, irrespective of from di#erent regions, professions and ecology and energy policy. status, and origin. "elds of expertise. !eir composition changes with every year. Recent years’ Hans-Peter Dürr has built bridges !e open proposal process helps the jurors have included high UN o%cials, between science’s ivory towers and so- Foundation "nd out which problems are civil society activists, politicians, scientists ciety in order to ensure that our skills perceived as most urgent worldwide and and former ambassadors. and technologies are used for us – not to sense new trends and developments. against us. Holistic

6 !inking tockholm, December 9, 2005. !e Second Chamber of the Swedish Parliament is Spacked. Ambassadors, parliamentarians, journalists and pupils listen silently to the ancient music from the Kalahari. It is a song about a tribe’s ancestors, but today it is "lled with a modern appeal to the Government of : “Let our people stay!”

A story of Africa, of desert and the desperate "ght of a people for their ancestral land and the right to practise their own culture. But today is no day of despair for and his organisation ‘First People of the Kalahari.’ It is a day of hope. For the Award, which the Bushmen receive, will help them continue their struggle – in their country’s courts and under the eyes of the world.

!e Award Ceremony What is Development? “Why am I here? Because my people love Each year in !e Award is neither a lifetime achieve- their land, and without it we are dying. December, ment award, nor a grant for promising Many years ago, the president of Bots- the Prize projects – it is support for ongoing wana said we could live on our ancestral Recipients successful work. !e prize money is never land forever. We never needed anyone to – usually for personal use. tell us that. Of course we can live where four – come God created us! But the next president to “I was already quite old, when I received said we must move and began forcing us to receive the Prize. !is means I had a very long away. (…) the Right Livelihood Awards in the #ght behind me. !ere is also a long #ght Swedish Parliament. !e prize money ahead of me. !e Prize came in the midst of I say what kind of development is it per Laureate is 50,000 € (2011). Often this #ght.” when the people live shorter lives than an Honorary Award goes to a person or Uri Avnery, Israel before? Our children are beaten in organisation, whose work the jury wishes RLA 2001 school. Some become prostitutes. !ey are to recognise but who is not primarily in not allowed to hunt. !ey #ght because need of monetary support. they are bored and get drunk. !ey are starting to commit suicide. We never saw that before. It hurts to say this. Is this ‘development’?”

Roy Sesana, Botswana Supporting Indigenous In his acceptance speech 2005

Peoples 7 he Right Livelihood Award Foundation’s main purpose is to bestow an award. But Tits commitment goes beyond a nice certi"cate and the transfer of the prize money. !e Right Livelihood Award Foundation is dedicated to supporting its Laureates even after the prize ceremony: It works to promote their projects, to protect the Laureates from harm, and connects them with each other so that they can draw strength from their network and mutual exchange.

More than just a prize To ful"l these objectives, the Founda-

Prelazia do Xingu Prelazia tion invests in communications and press © work about the Award Recipients. Every year, media and organisations around the globe report about the Laureates and Against all Odds make their projects of hope known to an In 2010, Austrian-born Erwin Kräutler increasing number of people. Also, the received the Right Livelihood Award Laureates gain mutual support, solidarity for his lifetime of work for the human and inspiration from their Right Liveli- and environmental rights of indige- hood Award network. In recent years, for nous people in Brazil. Dom Erwin is a instance, they have signed joint appeals catholic bishop. He has fought a long to national governments to phase out battle against the highly controversial nuclear energy and nuclear weapons or Belomonte dam that threatens the life to protect indigenous peoples. Just as and the livelihoods of people in the important as such practical support is the Amazon region. His commitment has experience for the Laureates that they are made him defy powerful economic in- not alone in their "ghts, but connected terests – one of the main reasons why with a large group of like-minded people he lives under constant protection. around the world. In his work, Dom Erwin often crosses paths with other Right Livelihood Award Laureates in Brazil: with the Pastoral Land Commission, CPT, with the liberation theologian Leonardo Bo# and the founder of the World Social Forum, Chico Whitaker, whose Expressing petition for a nuclear energy phase-out Kräutler supported.

8 Solidarity he Right Livelihood College answers the wish of many Laureates not only to have Ttheir work publicised but to ensure that their knowledge will live on. !e College is meant to build a bridge between universities and Award Recipients, whether they hold an academic title or position or not. !e Laureates’ vast experience is a treasure that needs to be preserved and multiplied. It is exactly this task that is at the heart of the Right Livelihood College.

!e Right Livelihood College !e College was founded in 2009 at outreach. !e campuses o#er scholarships Pioneers & Multipliers the University of Penang in . for PhD students who want to inten- Anwar Fazal is one of the earliest Reci- Soon, other university institutes became sively study the work of Right Livelihood pients of the Right Livelihood Award, additional campuses of the college: the Award Recipients; they invite Laureates and co-founder and director of the University of Bonn (Germany) with its to give lectures; and organise seminars Right Livelihood College. After having Center for Development Research, the and days of action. worked all his life to build civil society Lund University Centre for Sustainability movements, especially in the "eld of Studies (), and the University of consumer rights, he became professor Addis Ababa (). at the University of Penang. About the College he says: !e Right Livelihood College campuses are independent but cooperate closely “!e Right Livelihood College aims to be with the global secretariat in Penang and #ve things – a hub, a catalyst, an incu- the Right Livelihood Award Foundation bator, a multiplier and an accelerator of in Stockholm. !eir various activities aim links between universities and the work at research, teaching, participation and of laureates. An interactive link between academics and activists.” Forming

the Future 9 !e Right Livelihood Award Foundation Over 30 years ago, Jakob von Uexkull In recent years, the Foundation has seen approached the with its network grow not only thanks to the the suggestion that it should establish two Right Livelihood College and its cam- new awards, one for ecology and one re- puses. !ere is an increasing number levant to the lives of the poor. He o#ered of organisations and people in di#erent to contribute "nancially but his proposal countries who invite Right Livelihood was turned down. He then decided to Award Laureates to conferences, seminars set up the Right Livelihood Awards and and public events. In , for provided the initial funding. instance, an a%liated Foundation began In 1980, the "rst Right Livelihood its work in 2007, the Right Livelihood Awards were bestowed in a rented hall. Award Foundation Switzerland. It orga- Five years later followed the invitation nises events with Prize Recipients and to present them in the Swedish Parlia- fundraises for the Award. ment. During this time, the public began

Bonny Håkonsson referring to the Award as the “Alternative © Nobel Prize”. “According to Mar- tin Luther King !e Right Livelihood Award Founda- the great tragedy !e Founder – tion is a charity registered in Sweden. It of today is not only Jakob von Uexkull is a politically independent platform for the roar of dicta- “!ere are too many possibilities to be visionary, practical solutions to put right torship, but also a pessimist. Of course, there are also too global wrongs. !e Foundation receives the silence of good many crises to be an optimist. I always cross-party support from Swedish Parlia- people. say, I am a ‘possibilist.’ I see the possibili- mentarians who also host the Award Ce- Since its creation, ties to do what the Native Americans call remony. !e presentation in the Swedish the Right Liveli- ‘to walk your talk’…” Parliament enhances the impact of the hood Award has Award and provides the Laureates with contributed to breaking that silence.” important political backing. Raúl Montenegro, In his acceptance speech, RLA 2004

10 Board !e Right Livelihood Award Foundation’s course is decided by its board. !e six trus- tees also serve as jury members.

Agneta Johansson, Marianne Andersson, Deputy Director at Inter-

Former Member of the national Legal Assistance # ansson Sta Holger Swedish Parliament, Consortium (ILAC), © Sweden. Sweden.

For outstanding Vision and Work “For more than 30 years, the Right Live- lihood Award Foundation has honoured Paul Ekins, personal courage and global commit- Professor of Energy and En- Juliane Kronen, ment. Watching the Foundation grow, vironment Policy, University Strategy consultant and helping tie the Award and the solutions College London, UK. entrepreneur, Germany. it stands for to our society, is both a privi- lege and a great experience for anyone working for the Foundation. As an activist, I have fought against the Monika Griefahn, goliaths of our world myself. !us, I take Co-Chair Jakob von Uexkull, great pleasure in supporting people who Former member of the Ger- Founder and Co-Chair, share my values and who regard cultural man Parliament, Co-Founder Founder of the World Future diversity as something to be celebrated of Greenpeace Germany. Council, UK. rather than a problem.

(2011) If the Prize didn’t exist, someone would have to invent it.”

Monika Griefahn Co-Chair O!ering Right Livelihood Award Foundation

Solutions 11 ven heroes rarely succeed alone. !ey need support. People and organisations who Eback them, like the Right Livelihood Award Foundation does. To be able to do that, the Right Livelihood Award Foundation itself needs support - from its donors.

Partner and Circle of Friends We invite our Partners and Friends to get to know our work and our Laureates close-up. !ey receive VIP invitations to the Right Livelihood Award Ceremony in the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm and to other events with Laureates. We Together for the Future inform them personally about our work “Despite all the constraints you may and name them on our website (unless face, all the lack of the good things that they want to be anonymous). many of us look for, dedicating oneself to the common good of society, to the If you are interested in becoming part environment, to democratic principles Today, two groups provide the "nancial of this global network of changemakers, and to peace is itself a great reward. basis for the Awards: please contact us, and together we will Sometimes it is not recognised, sometimes t Our Partners who have made capital "nd out how you, too, can get involved. not pleasant, but there is a personal donations to invest in the future of satisfaction, a feeling that you have lived the Award. your life to the full, that you have been a t Our Circle of Friends who donate productive, a useful, a valuable member regularly and make the ongoing work of the greater community of the living. of the Award possible.

It is your future. Take it, work for it, and devote your life to it, so that you, too, may pass a better world to your child- ren.”

Wangari Maathai, RLA 1984 Supporting

12 Projects of Hope International Donations Donations Recipient: Right Livelihood Award Foundation IBAN: SE28 9500 0099 6026 0900 2494 In the 1990s, a Swedish lady contacted us asking BIC (swift code): NDEASESS about an internship at our office. After the intern- Bank address: Nordea Bank AB, ship, she told us that she had wanted to get to know 105 71 Stockholm our foundation and that she had now decided to donate a significant amount. Later, she provided the costs for the Award Ceremony for a couple of years. Sweden She likes to compare her support to the Right Liveli- Right Livelihood Award Stiftelsen hood Award to a boomerang: “What you give away, Plusgiro: 90 02 49-4 comes back to you – in one way or another.”

We are very proud that, time and again, wonderful USA (tax-deductible) people put their trust in our work and feel that they Please send your gift through our can change the world for the better by donating to US sponsoring organisation: the Right Livelihood Awards. Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 1, PMB 121 Santa Barbara, California 93108-2794 Telephone: 805.965.3443 Fax: 805.568.0466

Bequests Germany (tax-deductible) Empfänger: Dachstiftung für individuelles A bequest is a sensitive and personal matter that needs to be discussed on an individual basis. Schenken The Award has had a number of very positive experiences with people who have made provi- Konto-Nr.: 103 700 800 sion for it in their wills. For instance, in one case a bond developed between the prospective BLZ: 430 609 67 (GLS Bank) donor and her family and the Right Livelihood Award Foundation and its Laureates, based on Verwendungszweck: RLA the perception that her decision had the same motivation that drives our Laureates: They do what they do for those who come after them. Switzerland (tax-deductible) If you are considering remembering the Right Livelihood Award Foundation in your will or Recipient: Right Livelihood Award Foundation have any questions about this matter, please contact us. You will find the details of your contact Switzerland person, Ole von Uexkull, on the back cover of this brochure. Account number: 1100 - 1164.637 Bank: ZKB, Zürcher Kantonal Bank, Bank Clearing: 700

3 13 Right Livelihood Award Foundation PO Box 15072 104 65 Stockholm Sweden

For donations, please contact (in English, German or Swedish) Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director [email protected] For news and further information about the work of Phone: +46 8 702 03 37 all Laureates and information on how to make propo- sals for the Award, please visit our website For proposals for the Award, please contact www.rightlivelihood.org (in English or Swedish) Kajsa Övergaard, Foundation Manager 2012 © Right Livelihood Award Foundation [email protected] Phone: +46 8 702 03 40 Printed on recycled paper