Call notice - nominations for the Nobel peace prize
As former recipients of the Nobel peace prize, Quakers are privileged to be able to submit an annual nomination to the Oslo Committee. For Friends in BYM nominations can be made via the current QPSW representative to the American Friends Service (AFSC) Nobel peace prize nominating committee, Alan Quilley.
Nominations for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize are now closed.
To assist you, here is a summary of the criteria for any future nominations:
The Nobel criteria
Alfred Nobel’s will establishing the peace prize specified that the prize should go “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Fairly early in its history, the Norwegian Nobel committee felt clear to award the peace prize to organizations as well as to individual persons. More recently, it has extended these criteria to include contribution to the advancement of human rights.
Criteria of the AFSC Nobel peace prize nominating committee:
- The candidate’s commitment to nonviolent methods.
- The quality of the candidate as a person and of her/his sustained contribution to peace.
- The candidate’s work on issues of peace, justice, human dignity, and the integrity of the environment.
- The candidate’s possession of a world view and/or global impact as opposed to a parochial concern.
Additional criteria guiding the considerations of the AFSC committee:
- Giving attention to candidates from all parts of the world.
- Noting crisis areas and considering candidates related to them only as a Nobel Prize may, by its timeliness and visibility, offer valuable support to a solution to the crisis.
- Considering the relevance of a candidate's work to the work of AFSC or other Quaker experience.
Please also bear in mind:
- The person/organisation you nominate must be alive/still active, and not a previous recipient of the prize.
- Generally speaking the AFSC Nobel committee would be unlikely to nominate a Quaker or a Quaker organisation as to do so would seem self serving.
- It is important to include with your nomination biographical information, a description of the individual or organisational contribution to peace, and references to published material about the nominee. A contact for any needed clarification would be useful also.
- There is no need to renominate. The committee does not start each year with a blank sheet, but reviews previously received nominations early in each year.
- The deliberations of the Committee are confidential, so please hold confidential any names you submit.
What will happen to your nomination?
It will be acknowledged and forwarded to the clerk of the AFSC committee. The nomination and supporting information will be placed on the peace prize website, a website accessible only to the committee members who use it to receive, exchange and review information. It will be discussed at the next telephone conference of the committee, and taken forward as appropriate. All nominations receive prayerful consideration. When the committee meets face to face in October, the final decision about the nomination will be made and forwarded to the AFSC Board who must approve it. Once the nomination has been received in Oslo, I will write to you again to give you information about the Quaker nominee. I expect to be writing very soon to Friends and Meetings who made nominations for the 2012 award.
How to make a nomination
Please send your nomination and supporting information to Alan Quilley, by email if possible to qpsw@quaker.org.uk, or to QPSW at Friends House.
Head your email or mark your envelope: NOBEL NOMINATION
Alan Quilley c/o QPSW
173 Euston Road
London
NW1 2BJ
