1000 Women Nobel Peace Prize Nominations 2005

On June 29, 2005 the names of 1000 women nominated together for the Nobel Peace Prize were revealed. One of the nine Canadian women so nominated is Julia Morton-Marr, an Executive member of Science for Peace. Julia was nominated for her Global Sustainability Education curriculum with the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre and their flagship program: the International School Peace Gardens.

The other Canadian nominees are Louise Arbour, Maude Barlow, Akua Benjamin, Muriel Helena Duckworth, Marjorie (Maggie) Hodgson, Landon Pearson, Doreen Spence and Kama Steliga.

This extraordinary and historical event for the advancement of peace women, is to make visible the various aspects of women’s work for peace, justice, education and sustainability. The UN EcoSoc document — Statement submitted by Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council at the Status of Women’s conference March 2005; E/CN.6/2005/NGO/31 — suggests that all decision making bodies should be composed with at least 40 percent women and at least 40 percent men, to achieve a meaningful gender balance. The nomination of so many women will draw attention to the imbalance not only in decision-making bodies, but in the award of Nobel Peace Prizes during the first hundred years.

The publicity involved has been unusual for the 1000 Women Nobel Peace Prize event. Over 35 press conferences were held all over the world. Many of the 150 countries held cultural events to launch their women as early as 2004. June 29, 2005 saw the official launch of all the women’s names from Switzerland. Brief biographies of the 1000 women can be found on the project home page. A quick look at them will give you an idea of what you will find in both the book to be released in autumn and the exhibition, which will take place in Zurich from October 14 – 22, 2005.

The USA and Canadian women were honoured at the UN in New York on September 8, 2005 at 11 am in the Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium, during this year’s annual NGO Department of Public Information conference, September 7 – 9, 2005. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 14, 2005.

For more information on the 1000 Women Nobel Peace Prize visit: www.1000peacewomen.org

For press information on Julia Morton-Marr visit: http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=222