2016 Right Livelihood Award (dubbed the "alternative Nobel Prize" )Winners Thursday Sep 22,2016

The Syria Civil Defence, a volunteer rescue service also known as the White Helmets, has won this year's Right Livelihood Award.

The award is worth €315,000 (£271,184) split between four recipients.

The White Helmets were recognised for "outstanding bravery, compassion and humanitarian engagement in rescuing civilians".

The group has almost 3,000 volunteers, and claims to have saved 60,000 lives in the Syrian conflict.

The 3 other recipients sharing the prize, dubbed the "alternative Nobel Prize"are

1. Mozn Hassan, an Egyptian feminist
2. Svetlana Gannushkina, a Russian human rights activist and 
3. Cumhuriyet, a Turkish newspaper.

Note

What are the White Helmets?

• started early 2013 as a volunteer workforce
• includes bakers, tailors, carpenters, electricians
• 130 killed out of about 3,000 members
• say they are neutral, have no political affiliation and save people from all sides of conflict
• also do repair works, reconnect electrical cables and secure the buildings
• run by donations, also helped by US Aid and Dutch foreign ministry

The White Helmets are internationally recognised for their rescue efforts, and have been nominated for the "real" Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced in October.


 2015 Right Livelihood Award Winners

Human rights and global crisis activists from Canada, Italy, Uganda, and the Marshall Islands have been named winners of the 2015 Right Livelihood Awards, the so-called ” alternative Nobels.” This year’s 3 million kronor ($358,500) award will be shared by,

• Canada’s Sheila Watt-Cloutier, cited for promoting Inuit livelihoods and culture
• Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera from Uganda, for her struggle for gay rights and sexual minorities
• Italian surgeon Gino Strada, for providing medical assistance to victims of war.

The people of the Pacific islands and their foreign minister, Tony de Brum, will receive an honorary award for what was described as their visionary and courageous legal action against nuclear powers “for failing to honor disarmament obligations.”