PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENTS
Medea Benjamin Awarded 2012 Peace Prize
The Board of
Directors of the US Peace Memorial Foundation has voted unanimously to award
its 2012 Peace Prize to Medea Benjamin in recognition of her creative leadership on the
front lines of the antiwar movement.
The
award was presented October 28 at a ceremony in New York City.
In addition to receiving the 2012 Peace
Prize, our highest honor, Medea Benjamin has also been designated as a Founding Member of the US Peace Memorial Foundation. She joins previous Peace Prize
recipients Noam Chomsky, Dennis Kucinich, and Cindy Sheehan.
Michael Knox, Chair of the
Foundation, thanked her for a decade of tireless, creative, and inspiring peace
leadership and activism during which she has demonstrated, written, and spoken
about ending wars; called attention to the devastation of U.S. wars; and served
as a role model for others. Many of her actions against war and for peace are documented
in the US
Peace Registry (scroll down to her
name).
In response to her
selection, Ms. Benjamin commented, ÒI am honored
and delighted to accept this award on behalf of the thousands of Americans who
try to model the kind of citizen diplomacy we want our government to
emulate. While our elected
officials continue to fund war and massive military spending, we need to stand
up and call for a foreign policy that promotes negotiations, respect and nonviolent
solutions.Ó
This year there were 18 nominees for the Peace Prize including: Pete Seeger, Bradley Manning, Ron Paul, Chris Hedges, Kathy
Kelly, Debra Sweet, Coleen Rowley, Gene Sharp, Amy Goodman, John Dear, and Daniel Ellsberg.
Since 2005, the US Peace Memorial Foundation has directed
a nationwide effort to recognize peace
leadership by publishing the US Peace Registry,
awarding an annual Peace Prize, and planning for the US Peace Memorial in Washington DC.
These projects help move us toward a culture of peace as we honor the millions
of thoughtful and courageous Americans who have taken a public stand against one or more U.S. wars
or who have devoted their time, energy, and other resources to finding peaceful
solutions to international conflicts. We
celebrate these role models in hopes of inspiring other Americans to speak out
against war and for peace. Please join us as a Founding
Member.
Noam Chomsky Awarded 2011 Peace Prize
The Board of
Directors of the US Peace Memorial Foundation has voted unanimously to award
its 2011 Peace Prize to Noam Chomsky, whose antiwar activities for five decades both educate and inspire. This award was presented on October 1st
at a Conference marking the 10th Anniversary of United for Justice
with Peace held at Suffolk University in Boston,
MA.
In presenting the award, Michael Knox,
Chair of the Foundation, thanked Professor Chomsky for almost 50 years of peace
activism during which he has taught, written, and spoken about ending war; has
actively resisted violent responses to conflict by our government; and has
served as a role model for others.
In addition to receiving the 2011 Peace
Prize, our highest honor, Professor Chomsky has also been designated as a
Founding Member of the US Peace Memorial Foundation. Many of his actions against war and for
peace are documented at US Peace Registry (scroll
down to his name).
In response to receiving the Peace
Prize, Professor Chomsky commented, ÒNo need to say that I am pleased and
honored to receive this award, and to be invited to join the former recipients,
who have dedicated themselves with such courage and integrity to achieve peace
with justice – which must be our goal, in a world of far too much
needless misery and oppression, and facing such dire consequences unless action
is undertaken vigorously and without delay.Ó
The US Peace Memorial Foundation
recognizes and honors citizens and organizations that have advocated for peace
and/or voiced opposition to a U.S. war or wars. The Foundation
awards an annual peace prize, publishes the US Peace Registry, and
will build the US Peace Memorial in Washington DC. Noam Chomsky joins previous Peace Prize recipients
Dennis
Kucinich and Cindy Sheehan.
Congressman
Dennis Kucinich Awarded 2010 Peace Prize
The Board of Directors of the
US Peace Memorial Foundation has voted unanimously to award Congressman Dennis
Kucinich its 2010 Peace Prize in recognition of his national leadership
to prevent and end wars. In addition to
this, our highest honor, he has also been designated as a Founding Member of
the US Peace Memorial Foundation.
He received the award on December 9. Michael Knox,
Chair of the Foundation, thanked him for his peace leadership and for
serving as a role model to others. Congressman
Kucinich stated, "Peace is not only an absence of conflict, but an active
engagement which includes reaching out to others in the spirit of cooperation
to resolve what can sometimes be significant differences. I accept this recognition in honor of
the countless individuals who bring peace and love into the lives of those
around them."
Representative
Kucinich has, since 9/15/01, consistently spoken out for peace and against
war. In 2004 and 2008 he was the only candidate for the Democratic
nomination for President of the United States who voted against the Iraq war authorization and every funding appropriation related
to that war. We are honored to award him the 2010 Peace Prize. Many of
his actions against war and for peace are documented at US
Peace Registry
(scroll down to his name).
The US Peace Memorial
Foundation recognizes and honors citizens and organizations that have advocated
for peace and/or voiced opposition to a US war or wars. The Foundation awards an annual peace
prize, publishes the US Peace Registry,
and will build the US Peace Memorial in Washington DC.
Cindy Sheehan Awarded 2009 Peace Prize
The Board of Directors of the
US Peace Memorial Foundation has voted unanimously to award Cindy Sheehan its
2009 Peace Prize for extraordinary and innovative antiwar activism. In addition
to this high honor, she has been designated as a Founding Member of the US
Peace Memorial Foundation. Her
history of diverse and impressive activities that advocate against war and for
peace is documented at US
Peace Registry
(scroll down to her name).
Michael Knox, Chair of the
Foundation, made the official announcement on December 12 at an antiwar rally
in front of the White House. A reading of the inscription on the plaque
was met with great applause www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6whnFpKZoE.
Ms. Sheehan received the award on December 30. Knox thanked her for
her peace leadership and for serving as a role model to others. She has served to raise the awareness of
those who are not inclined to think about peace and the devastation of war.
The US Peace Memorial Foundation, a national,
not-for-profit, grassroots organization, is spearheading a nationwide effort to
recognize peace leadership by building the US Peace Memorial in Washington, DC,
and publishing the US Peace Registry. These projects will honor the
millions of thoughtful and committed Americans who have taken a public stand
against a particular U.S. war or who have devoted their time, energy, and other
resources to peace.
US Peace Memorial Foundation, Inc. is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public
charity.
Donations to the
Foundation are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
Copyright 2005-2013, US Peace Memorial
Foundation, Inc.