Tag Archives: Nobel Peace Prize

antiwar, Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Book of the Week

Nobel Laureates: End Afghan War

February 18, 2014 Peace Couple Leave a comment

The final chapter in The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace is the 2001 International Appeal of Nobel Prize Laureates, Poets, Philosophers, Intellectuals and Human Rights Defenders for an Immediate End to the War against Afghanistan. This appeal ends the final section of the book: Post-Vietnam to the Present (1975- ) .

The appeal succinctly reiterates the points made in the last two essays. The invasion of Afghanistan fails on two accounts. It did not bring the perpetrators of 9/11 to justice. It is increasing the future likelihood of terrorism against the US.

Since the Appeal is short, and a public document, I have reproduced it below: Continue reading Nobel Laureates: End Afghan War →

antiwar, Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Book of the Week

Immorality of War: Pauling & Ikeda

December 25, 2013 Peace Couple 1 Comment

The excerpt from Linus Pauling & Daisaku Ikeda‘s 1992 book A Lifelong Quest for Peace is the twentieth chapter of The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace. This dialogue continues the Post-Vietnam to the Present (1975- ) section of the book. Linus Pauling — who died 2 years after co-authoring his book — was a chemist, biochemist, pacifist, author, and teacher. Ikeda is the founder and current president of Sōka Gakkai International (SGI), an international lay Buddhist association which focuses on peace, cultural and educational activities. He is the recipient of the 1983 United Nations Peace Award and has written over 80 books.

In his amazing career, Pauling won the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize. When he was awarded the Peace Prize the Nobel peace Prize committee issued the following statement: Continue reading Immorality of War: Pauling & Ikeda →

antiwar, Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Book of the Week, Social Justice

Daniel Berrigan & Thich Nhat Hahn discuss Communities of Resistance

March 9, 2013 Augustus 1 Comment

Daniel Berrigan and Thich Nhat Hahn‘s 1975 dialogue Communities of Resistance: A Conversation is the eighteenth chapter of The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace . This dialogue leads off the Post-Vietnam to the Present (1975- ) section of the book. Hahn and Berrigan’s hopes for communities of resistance springs from their own experience with religious communities in the Buddhist and Catholic faiths, respectively, and with the experiences of their late mutual friend Thomas Merton.

We have already discussed Merton’s essay The Root of War is Fear from a previous chapter in the same book. In it, Merton defines the calling of a Christian to “work for the total abolition of war.” Merton reminds us that the place to end war is within ourselves. My comments in the post about Merton’s essay could easily be applied to Berrigan and Hahn: Continue reading Daniel Berrigan & Thich Nhat Hahn discuss Communities of Resistance →

antiwar, Nonviolence, PAXi, Peace

Peace News: Key indicator for PAXi peace index makes huge jump on 10/13/2012

October 13, 2012 susanna Leave a comment

Surprise! There should be a big jump in the Daily Peace Index today!

(Update: The PAXi Peace Index number for today, Oct. 13, 2012 is, in fact, “754”. A new high, and a giant leap from yesterday!)

One of the key indicators is a search for “peace” at Google News.

Today, the Google News number is over 60 million! Compare that to the past few days: 10/10 was 4,020,000; 10/11 was 3,790,000; 10/12 was 4,040,000. Also, the highest day yet for the PAXi/Daily Peace Index was on September 11, 2012. On that day, the Google New/peace figure was 20,100,000 and PAXi came out to 337. When we do the figures later today, we will probably have that beat! (Come back to the front page this evening to check on today’s PAXi number!)

In searching for causes of the jump, I reviewed what the top Google News stories about peace were this morning. I think the main story pushing this jump is the Nobel Peace Prize being given to the EU/European Union. Though, I was also happy to see a third party candidate shaking up the peace discourse: On the first page of the Google News results, Roseanne Barr for President on the “Peace and Freedom Party” line shows up!

Google News Peace: A PAXi Daily Peace Index indicator — Above: A Google News search for “peace” on the morning of October 13, 2012

antiwar, Nonviolence, Peace

TV and the culture of war and peace: Ten Nobel Peace Laureates call on NBC to cancel “Stars Earn Stripes” program

August 17, 2012 susanna Leave a comment

The Duke and Duchess of Peace do not own a television. Often, we just ignore controversies about TV shows, because TV is not part of our personal universe. Though, this week, I heard about the “Stars Earn Stripes” controversy on: a FAIR radio show; an e-mail from a local activist; and the press release below, which had been re-posted on a leftist list-serve. So, I guess we were meant to take a stand on it:

A press release posted at Nobelwomensinitiative.org
Ten Nobel Peace Laureates Call on NBC to Cancel “Stars Earn Stripes”
August 13, 2012

New show promotes an “inglorious tradition of glorifying war and armed violence”

(Ottawa)–Ten Nobel Peace Laureates today issued an open letter to the Chairman of NBC Entertainment, as well as General Wesley Clark and others involved in the new “reality” show premiering tonight on NBC—“Stars Earn Stripes”—calling on them to walk away from the show immediately. Continue reading TV and the culture of war and peace: Ten Nobel Peace Laureates call on NBC to cancel “Stars Earn Stripes” program →

Music, Nonviolence, Peace

Celebrations for an icon of nonviolent political protest

June 18, 2012 susanna Leave a comment

Now, this is news for the peace community, and for those of us who understand the power of music in world culture!

Bono is “on tour” with 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner from Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi. They were in Dublin June 18th. (Story: here.)

Link to Aung San Suu Kyi’s speech at the Nobel Prize website: here.

Link to Action Alert from Amnesty International about political prisoners still jailed in Myanmar.

Story and picture at Boise State Public Radio, which offered the phrase “icon of nonviolent political protest”: here.

The AP story below includes quotes from Bono:

(excerpt from) The Seattle Times/AP
Suu Kyi walks on with U2’s `star-struck’ Bono

Aung San Suu Kyi and Bono joined forces Monday as the Myanmar democracy activist’s European tour moved from the home of the Nobel Peace Prize to the land of U2. Continue reading Celebrations for an icon of nonviolent political protest →

Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Book of the Week

First US Woman to Win the Nobel Peace Prize 10/17/11

October 17, 2011 Augustus Leave a comment

The fifth chapter of The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace brings us into the 20th Century with a section from Jane Addams 1907 book Newer Ideals of Peace. She is the first woman’s voice we hear in The Power of Nonviolence. Her approach to peace work is informed by her work battling poverty, furthering feminism and engaging in electoral politics.

Addams paid a dear price for her pacifism. She was attacked by the newspapers of her day, including the New York Times, for her opposition to entering World War I. Dr. King was similarly attacked the leading newspapers, including the Times, for his opposition to the Vietnam War. Despite this she worked for peace internationally and became founding president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. Some believe her opposition to participation in World War I, was the reason he Nobel Peace prize was delayed until 1931.

The first paragraph from the selection from Newer Ideals of Peace subtly brings forward her belief that women are needed in politics to bring forward peace to create a “change in men’s attitude toward war”. This became the focus of her argument for women’s suffrage. Continue reading First US Woman to Win the Nobel Peace Prize 10/17/11 →