The presentation of the Right Livelihood Awards, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prizes, this year focused on the war in Ukraine. It is probably for this reason that Ukrainian human rights activist Oleksandra Matviyichuk and the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL) are among the prize winners. The award went to Ukraine for the first time.
Matviyichuk, 38, is one of the best-known human rights activists in Ukraine. As chair of the human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties, she has been committed to strengthening civil society and upholding the rule of law and international law since 2007. In 2013, the organization came into the limelight for providing legal aid to victims and documenting human rights violations during the so-called Euromaidan protests in Kiev. The Right Livelihood Awards (RLA) jury recognized CCL’s involvement in “pioneering international efforts” to address responsibility for war crimes and other human rights violations.
Matviyichuk said in a statement that the award was “a gesture of support for our struggle and for my work”. Ukraine is currently going through a very dramatic period in its history. “We are fighting for freedom in every way. We fight for the freedom to be an independent state, we fight for the freedom to be Ukrainian, we fight for the freedom to hold democratic elections,” the activist said.
Winners receive approximately 92,000 euros
Other winners of the prize, endowed with one million Swedish crowns (about 92,000 euros), are the climate organization Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) from Uganda, the cooperative network Cecosesola from Venezuela and the two Sudanese human rights activists Fartuun Adan and Ilwad Elman. . RLA director Ole von Uexkull emphasized in a statement that all of this year’s award winners engage in grassroots activism.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
