For the first time in the history of the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” the award was given to the people of an entire nation. The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), an island nation of 70,000 people in the Pacific, and RMI Foreign Minister Tony de Brum, received the award “in recognition of their vision and courage to take legal action against the nuclear powers for failing to honor their disarmament obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and customary international law.”
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is proud to serve as a consultant to the RMI in the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. We believe that these lawsuits will contribute significantly to moving the world to nuclear weapons abolition.
Speaking about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits in his acceptance speech at the Swedish Parliament, Tony de Brum said:
“This is not just an issue of treaty commitments or international law, though it is that, and not just an issue of ethics or morality, though it is that too, but this is an issue of common sense – how could any one common person walking down the street ever permit the possession or use of such weapons?”
To achieve a world free of nuclear weapons – truly a common sense goal – it will take the action of courageous countries like the Marshall Islands and the committed action of people like you all around the world.
