Right Livelihood Award
The
Right Livelihood Award, established in
1980 by
Jakob von Uexkull, is presented annually in the building of the
Swedish Parliament, usually on
December 9, to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today". An international jury decides the awards in such fields as
environmental protection,
human rights,
sustainable development,
health,
education,
peace, etc. The prize money is shared among the winners, usually four, and is equivalent to US$ 250,000.
The prize has become widely known as the
Alternative Nobel Prize, although it is not in any way related to the
Nobel Prize. It states that, in the 21th century, the "greatest benefit to mankind" may be found in different fields than in the traditional sciences or in strict categories. Thus, RLA understands itself as a critical complement to the Nobel Prize. Consequently, the Right Livelihood Award Foundation has chosen to have its award ceremony the day before the Nobel Prize. On its web page, the Foundation makes various comparisons with the Nobel Prize, and also provides a number of diagrams detailing how much more fair distribution of the RLA prizes is than Nobel, which seldom awards people from the South, Third World countries or women [
1].
Until now, the Right Livelihood Award Foundation has presented 115 awards to individuals and organisations often working on grassroot level. The Foundation's purpose is not only to bestow a prize but to make the work of its recipients widely known and by that creating a global platform for existing solutions.
Recipients include:
*
Helena Norberg-Hodge*
Anwar Fazal*
Plenty International*
Bill Mollison*
Wes Jackson*
George Trevelyan*
Petra Kelly*
Wangari Maathai*
Robert Jungk*
Chipko movement*
Survival International*
Edward Goldsmith*
Leopold Kohr*
Vandana Shiva*
Astrid Lindgren*
Juan Garcés*
Ken Saro-Wiwa*
Kamenge Youth Centre*
Samuel Epstein*
Leonardo Boff*
Johan Galtung*
Asghar Ali Engineer*
Hans-Peter Dürr*
Walden Bello*
Frances Moore Lappé*
Memorial Society*
Mordechai Vanunu*
Manfred Max-Neef*
International Baby Food Action Network*
Bianca Jagger*
David Lange*
Maude Barlow*
Ken Saro-Wiwa*
Roy Sesana*
Trident Ploughshares *
Katarina Kruhonja*
Vesna Terselic*
Patrick van Rensburg*
Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher*
Irene Fernandez*
Francisco Toledo*
Raúl Montenegro*
Nicanor Perlas*
Ibrahim Abouleish|
SEKEM*
Kvinna Till Kvinna*
Martín Almada*
Martin Green*
Birsel Lemke(
Complete list of recipients).
*
Schock Prize*
Polar Music Prize*
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award*
List of prizes, medals, and awards*
Right Livelihood Award - Official site
*
Jakob von Uexkull - Founder
*
Big Picture TV free video clips of Helena Norberg-Hodge, Vandana Shiva, Wangari Maathai and Johan Galtung
