Nnimmo Bassey to receive ‘alternative Nobel prize’

STOCKHOLM,SWEDEN/CANCUN,MEXICO, December 3, 2010 – This Monday, Friends of the Earth International chair Nnimmo Bassey will be one of the five recipients of the 2010 Right Livelihood Award. This award is often referred to as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’.

Nnimmo Bassey, who is also Executive Director of Friends of the Earth Nigeria, was nominated “for revealing the full ecological and human horrors of oil production and for his inspired work to strengthen the environmental movement in Nigeria and globally.”

Bassey, who is currently in Cancun for the UN climate talks, said: “Climate change is a systemic problem that is an unavoidable outcome of a fossil fuel driven mode of civilisation. Unless the root problems of the crisis are tackled, the usefulness of the climate change conferences will not go beyond being arena for carbon trading while the planet is being devastated and people are being pushed into early graves. This award is a validation of our position as Friends of the Earth that the way to a transformed world will come only through solidarity and cooperative actions through mass movements for the recovery of the sovereignty of the peoples of the world.”

Press Conference / Award Ceremony

A press conference with the laureates will take place on Monday December 6 at 9.30 AM (CET) at the International Press Centre of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fredsgatan 4-6, in Stockholm. Media will need a press card to attend this conference.

The awards will be presented at the Swedish Parliament the same day at 6PM (CET). Please contact Right Livelihood Awards foundation for media accreditation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Marlijn Dingshoff, Friends of the Earth International media coordinator, Tel: +31-20-622 13 69 or +31-6-51 00 56 30 (Dutch mobile number valid September 30 and Oct.1 only) or email media@foei.org

Right Livelihood Award Foundation, Tel: + 46 8 70 20 339 (Swedish office number) or +49 170 24 49 348 (German mobile number) or email press@rightlivelihood.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

For more information about the ‘Right Livelihood Award’ please visit: http://www.rightlivelihood.org/