Campaign Against Arms Trade awarded peace prize
Thursday 27 September 2012
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EmailCampaign Against Arms Trade has been awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize for its "innovative and effective" campaigning against the deadly industry.
It was announced today that the London-based organisation will be one of four recipients of the Right Livelihood Awards for 2012.
The awards, which were founded in 1980, are presented annually by the Right Livelihood Award Foundation, based in Stockholm, and honour organisations and individuals "offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges to us today."
The prize itself, which carries a cash award of 50,000 euros, will be formally presented to the four recipients at a ceremony at the Swedish parliament on December 7.
Awards also went to Hayrettin Karaca "for his lifetime of tireless advocacy and environmental activism in Turkey," Sima Samar "for her long-standing dedication to human rights - especially women's rights - in Afghanistan" and Gene Sharp of the US "for developing, articulating and applying the principles of non-violent resistance around the world."
Caat was nominated and selected for its campaigns challenging BAE Systems over alleged corruption in the Al Yamamah Saudi Arabia arms deal, opposing arms fairs such as the London Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEi), promoting ethical investment and tracking British arms sales and exposing the British government's hypocrisy over the Arab Spring.
Right Livelihood Academy executive director Ole von Uxekull said: "Our jury was deeply impressed by Caat's work. We often say that the recipients honour the award as much as the award honours the recipients.
"It is great to have Caat as a new member in the Right Livelihood Award family."
Caat fundraising co-ordinator Henry McLaughlin said: "We are absolutely delighted.
"Caat has campaigned effectively to expose and challenge the arms trade since 1974. This award honours the hard work of thousands of activists around the UK and we hope the publicity it generates will help us get our argument across. That it is not okay for the government to promote weapons sales.
"We also hope the publicity the award creates will help our partners in other countries to get their message across."
Caat is the first British winner of the Right Livelihood Award since Trident Ploughshares in 2001.
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