Usually referred to as Alternative Nobel Prizes , the Right Livelihood Awards started in 1980 and are presented annually in the Swedish Parliament.
Founder Jakob Von Uxekull felt that the Nobel Prizes today ignore much work and knowledge vital for the future of humankind. These awards were introduced to honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent questions facing us today .
This year's awards will be presented on 7 December, with the winners coming from Israel, Britain, Brazil and Venezuela. Among the 2001 recipients are Israeli peace group Gush Shalom and its co- who have worked for several decades to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Representatives of Trident Ploughshares, the British based nuclear disarmament group, are to be honoured with an award. One of these is Danish activist, Ulla Roder, who, at the time of writing, was serving a three-month prison sentence and facing possible deportation from Britain for habitual nonviolent direct action against Trident submarines. The international jury for the awards stated: It is a timely reminder that the unprecedented nuclear threat to life on earth is still with us. Also recognised with awards will be Brazilian liberation theologian, Leonardo Boff, and Jose Antonio Abreu, the founder of the national youth orchestra in Venezuela.