Tanzanian Activist Neema Mgana and "1000 Women for Peace" Nomi-
nated for Nobel Peace Prize
---------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
I have just heard the most wonderful news from Neema Mgana
(ARYI, GYCA, International Council for Global Initiatives,
ISCA), and wanted to pass this along to a number of forums, so
that we can all congratulate her and take pride in her consider-
able achievements and the honor she has received. BRAVO and huge
hurrahs, Neema! This nomination and recognition could not go to
a more committed activist or to a better person.
With deepest appreciation and love,
Janet Feldman
KAIPPG International
mailto:kaippg@earthlink.net
--
On June 28, 2005 the names of 1,000 women collectively nominated
for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize were announced simultaneously in
different parts of the world. Neema Mgana of Tanzania is the
youngest of the nominees. Other women nominated include Noeleen
Heyzer, Executive Director of the United Nations Development
Fund for Women; Swanee Hunt, former American Ambassador in Vi-
enna and Director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Har-
vard's Kennedy School of Government; and Barbara Lee, Democratic
California Congresswoman.
Miss Mgana is an aspiring and committed young African activist
who promotes social and political change in Africa. As an under-
graduate student, she co-founded an AIDS organization to serve
children affected with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. In 2002, she
founded the African Regional Youth Initiative, an organization
working with hundreds of youth and community-based organizations
all over Africa on social, economic and political issues facing
the continent.
She is the co-Executive Director of the International Council
for Global Initiatives (http://www.intcouncil.net) and is pres-
ently completing an Internship/fellowship program at the United
Nations secretariat in New York. Miss Mgana is one of three Tan-
zanians nominated.
The nomination was submitted to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee
in Oslo, Norway, in January 2005. In October, the Committee will
announce the winner of the Nobel prize for 2005. There are other
nominees (individuals, pairs or groups) in the peace category.
The "1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize" is one of them.
The nominated women were picked on the basis of their active
commitment to the cause of peace and justice, often under the
most difficult circumstances. Behind this unprecedented global
search for 1,000 nominees was the Association 1000 Women for the
Nobel Peace Prize 2005 began in 2003 as a Swiss initiative with
support from global coordinators and volunteers, Swiss Minister
for Foreign Affairs Micheline Calmy Rey, Unifem, UNDP and Unesco
Switzerland.
The Association describes the 1,000 women as follows:
"They call for reconciliation and organize peace talks, they re-
built what has been destroyed in villages and cities, they fight
against poverty and create new sources of income. They struggle
for access to clean water, land and other resources. They care
for those infected with HIV and give war orphans a home. They
denounce violations of human rights and publicly condemn all
forms of torture. They hold silent protests in public places and
seek solutions to all forms of aggression.
"They work mainly in their own villages and regions, but many
women are also in institutes and universities. Some of them are
members of governments or are active in the international scene.
The criteria for each nomination were, among others, sustain-
ability, integrity, long-term engagement, the inclusion of all
parties to conflict and a wide network. The 1,000 women are ex-
perts in their fields of work, they are beacons of hope for
their local people, they are informed, demanding, and not accom-
modating!"
A book of the women's biographies and pictures will be completed
at the end of 2005 and serve as inspiration and reference for
women, peace advocates, institutions and governments. A travel-
ling exhibit to go all over the world is planned, with texts and
pictures documenting the 1000 women.
An interactive online platform will improve the women's network-
ing and make their biographies readily available. Press confer-
ences to make known the names of the 1000 Women for the Nobel
Peace Prize 2005 are taking place from Fiji to California, from
Germany to Brazil.
You can find several short biographies under
http://www.1000peacewomen.org
Neema Mgana can be reached at mailto:nmgana@yahoo.com