Ales Bialiatski (2nd left) during the Paweł Włodkowic Award ceremony in the Polish Senate in 2014.The laureates are Ales Bialiatski, a jailed activist in Belarus, the civil society organisations Memorial, which was forced to close its doors by the Russian authorities last year, and the Ukraine-based Centre for Civil Liberties.
‘Catalysts for peace’
“Civil society groups are the oxygen of democracy, and catalysts for peace, social progress and economic growth. They help keep governments accountable and carry the voices of the vulnerable into the halls of power.” Mr. Bialatski was imprisoned in July 2021, as a result of the mass protest movement against the disputed re-election of Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Memorial is reportedly one of the oldest human rights organisations in Russia, led by previous peace prize laureate, Andrei Sakharov. It unearthed the full scale of suffering experienced in the notorious Stalinist-era prison camps, known as the Gulag. A wide range of human rights activists have been targeted in Colombia, especially those living in rural areas. UN Colombia
Civic space shrinking
“As the Nobel Committee cited, this year’s recognition shines a spotlight on the power of civil society to advance peace”, said Secretary-General António Guterres. “As we congratulate this year’s winners, let us pledge to defend the brave defenders of universal values of peace, hope and dignity for all”, the Secretary-General concluded.