[Globalsocialjustice] Sydney Peace Prize 2012 won by courageous Zimbabwean politician Mrs. Sekai Holland

[pduf2593 at uni.sydney.edu.au]

Dear GloSo members
Senator Mrs. Sekai Holland Co Minister for Reconciliation Healing and Integration in the Cabinet of President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai announced as the recipient of the 2012 Sydney Peace Prize, in a ceremony hosted by the Australian Embassy in Harare , Zimbabwe , April 30 , 6pm CAT.

The Sydney Peace Prize jury’s citation reads: ‘ Sekai Holland: for a lifetime of outstanding courage in campaigning for human rights and democracy, for challenging violence in all its forms and for giving such astute and brave leadership for the empowerment of women.’


The announcement of the choice of Sekai Holland was made by Dr Meredith Burgmann at a reception hosted by Australian Embassy in Harare on Monday 30 April. Professor Stuart Rees, Chair of the Sydney Peace Foundation said, ‘In addition to her work for the education of rural women and her founding of Australia’s anti Apartheid movement fifty years ago, Sekai Holland has been a significant leader of non violent, democracy campaigns, and is a key figure in her country’s national dialogue on how to heal the deep wounds of social conflict.’


And Stuart Rees, Chair of the Sydney Peace Foundation and Professor Emeritus at the University of Sydney goes into further detail on the selection of Senator Sekai Holland as the recipient of the 2012 Sydney Peace Prize is this article on ABC’s The Drum:
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4033002.html


In response Senator Holland commented, ‘This award comes as a wonderful surprise but one which is so encouraging. I accept on behalf of the brave women I have worked with for so many years and for my colleagues in our present Organ for National Healing Reconciliation and Integration. I also acknowledge the long term support and friendship which I have received from Australian Aboriginal campaigners for human rights and for peace with justice.’


2012 marks the 15th year of the Sydney Peace Prize, Australia’s only international award for peace. Sometimes perceived as controversial, previous recipients have included Professor Muhammad Yunus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dr Hanan Ashrawi, former Governor General Sir William Deane, Australia’s ‘Father of Reconciliation’ Patrick Dodson, the Indian novelist and human rights campaigner Arundhati Roy and least year the distinguished American academic and activist, Professor Noam Chomsky.


Sekai Holland will travel to Australia in November to give the City of Sydney Peace Prize Lecture in the Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday November 7th and will receive the 2012 Peace Prize ($50,000 and a trophy crafted by the artist in glass Brian Hirst ) in a gala ceremony on November 8th.


For more information about the Sydney Peace Foundation visit our website:
www.sydneypeacefoundation.org.au

Senator Sekai Holland, Dr Meredith Burgmann and Professor Stuart Rees will be available for comment.

All media enquires to:
Melissa McCullough
Media and Publicity | Sydney Peace Foundation
melissa.mccullough at sydney.edu.au | +61 432 861 653



Bests

Paul

--
PAUL DUFFILL
M +61 424 095 886|E pduf2593 at uni.sydney.edu.au<mailto:pduf2593 at uni.sydney.edu.au>

Programme Coordinator
Global Social Justice Network
W http://sydney.edu.au/arts/research/global_social_justice_network/

Researcher, casual lecturer & facilitator
Project Coordinator: Peace Journalism and Community Based Internet Media
Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
W http://sydney.edu.au/arts/peace_conflict<http://sydney.edu.au/arts/research/global_social_justice_network/>

<http://sydney.edu.au/>THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.ucc.usyd.edu.au/pipermail/globalsocialjustice/attachments/20120529/430f70cd/attachment.html