MacBride Peace Prize

The MacBride Peace Prize is awarded every year by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) to a person or organisation that has done outstanding work for peace, disarmament and/or human rights. These were the principal concerns of Seán MacBride, the distinguished Irish statesman who was Chairman of IPB from 1968-74 and President from 1974-1985.

MacBride began his career as a fighter against British colonial rule, studied law and rose to high office in the independent Irish Republic. He was a winner of the Lenin Peace Prize, and also the Nobel Peace Prize (1974) – awarded for his wide-ranging work, which included roles such as co-founder of Amnesty International, Secretary-General of the International Commission of Jurists, and UN Commissioner for Namibia. While at IPB he launched the Bradford Proposals on World Disarmament, which laid the ground for the first UN Special Session on Disarmament, held in 1978. He drafted the MacBride Principles – nine affirmative action proposals published in November 1984 – aimed at eliminating religious discrimination in the employment practices of United States corporations with subsidiaries in Northern Ireland.

He also launched the MacBride Appeal against Nuclear Weapons, which gathered the names of over 11,000 international lawyers from all parts of the world, many of them at the very highest level. This effort paved the way for the World Court Project on nuclear weapons, in which IPB played a major role. This resulted in the historic 1996 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Use and Threat of Nuclear Weapons. MacBride died in 1988, but the Prize was not established until 1992, IPB’s centenary year.

The award is decided by the IPB Steering Committee. IPB members are welcome to make suggestions and provide background documentation on potential candidates.

2017 winners

In 2017 the IPB Board chose the following three winners of the MacBride Peace Prize:

• The "All Okinawa Council Against Henoko New Base" for its unflagging commitment to win the closure of the US Futemna Marine Air Base, which is widely seen as one of the world’s most dangerous military bases, and for its unremitting nonviolent opposition to the construction of a massive new US air, land and sea base in Henoko.
• Noam Chomsky for his tireless commitment to peace and his strong critiques to US foreign policy, focusing on the US post-9-11 “War on Terror” which has provided cover for a continuation of U.S. imperial policies, and the imperative of addressing the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and climate change.
• Jeremy Corbyn – for his sustained and powerful political work for disarmament and peace. As an active member, vice-chair and now vice-president of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the UK he has for many years worked to further the political message of nuclear disarmament. As the past chair of the Stop the War Coalition in the UK he has worked for peace and alternatives to war. As a Member of Parliament in the UK he has, for 34 years continually taken that work for justice, peace and disarmament to the political arena both in and outside of Parliament. He has ceaselessly stood by the principles, which he has held for so long, to ensure true security and well-being for all – for his constituents, for the citizens of the UK and for the people of the world. Now, as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition he continues to carry his personal principles into his political life – stating openly that he could not press the nuclear button and arguing strongly for a reorientation of priorities - to cut military spending and spend instead on health, welfare and education.

Previous winners

2016

• IPB's former Secretary General Colin Archer (1990-2016)

2015

• The people and the island communities of Lampedusa (Italy) and Jeju Island (South Korea), in recognition of the profound commitment they have demonstrated to peace and social justice.

2014

• The people and government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, in recognition of the legal case submitted by the RMI to the International Court of Justice, against all 9 states with nuclear weapons, for failure to honour their disarmament commitments.

2013

• Private Chelsea (Bradley) MANNING, US whistleblower jailed for 35 years for revealing information about US war crimes. Sept 2013: Acceptance speech, photos + announcement here.

2012

• Lina BEN MHENNI, Tunisian blogger and activist; and Nawal EL-SAADAWI, Egyptian feminist writer, activist, physician and psychiatrist. Award presented by Irish President Michael D. Higgins (1st winner of the Prize) at a ceremony preceding IPB’s annual gathering, held in Dublin, November 2012.

2011

• Hanaa EDWAR, human rights activist, Iraq, and Peter BECKER, anti-nuclear lawyer, Germany. Awarded at IPB’s annual gathering, Potsdam, Oct. 2011

2010

• Binalakshmi NEPRAM, founder of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and Secretary-General of Control Arms Foundation of India. Awarded at IPB’s Nobel-centenary conference, Oslo, Sept. 2010

2009

• Betty REARDON, peace educator, USA. Awarded Nov. 2009 at the IPB’s annual conference in Washington D.C.

2008

• Jackie CABASSO, has been involved in (US) nuclear disarmament, peace and environmental advocacy on local, national and international level for over 25 years, awarded in Copenhagen.

2007

• Jayantha DHANAPALA, Sri Lankan Diplomat, awarded at Ceremony in Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

2006

• Mayors for Peace Awarded in Helsinki to Tadatoshi AKIBA, Mayor of Hiroshima; and in Nagasaki to Iccho ITOH, Mayor Nagasaki (who was subsequently murdered).

2005

• No award made

2004

• Leaders of the Geneva Initiative on the Middle East.

2003

• Nihon HIDANKYO, the Japanese hibakusha or survivors of the A bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. They have devoted the rest of their lives to the elimination of nuclear weapons.

2002

• Barbara LEE, only member of US Congress to vote against the war on Afghanistan.

2001

• Rosalie BERTELL, Canada-based public health advocate, scientist, author – who has put her professional skills at the service of victims of nuclear and other disasters. (Chernobyl, Bhopal etc).

2000

• Praful BIDWAI and Achin VANAIK, Indian journalists who have been at the forefront of the international campaign against the nuclearisation of South Asia. The IPB salutes their persistence, commitment and scholarly attention to detail which have earned their work wide acclaim.

1999

• Barbara GLADYSCH, Mothers for Peace, Germany, as a tribute to her outstanding and long-lasting commitment, both to disarmament and to practical solidarity with victims of war and disaster.

1998

• John HUME, a member of the European Parliament for consistently advocating non-violent solutions in Northern Ireland. Subsequently awarded Nobel Peace Prize.

1997

• The Seeds of Hope Group, UK for disarming a Hawk aircraft bound for Indonesia.

1996

• Selim BESLAGIC, Mayor of Tuzla, Bosnia, a key proponent of a multi-ethnic solution to the Bosnian crisis.

1995

• The Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers of Russia, foremost among Russian citizens’ groups opposing the war in Chechnya.

1994

• Mordechai VANUNU, Israel,a former nuclear technician, sentenced to 18 years solitary confinement for revealing details of Israel’s nuclear arsenal.

1993

• Hilda LINI, Vanuatu, a former health minister who played a key role in the WHO’s decision to approve a request to the World Court on the legal status of nuclear weapons.

1992

• Michael D. HIGGINS, Ireland, human rights lawyer, President of Ireland since 11 November 2011.