For Soroptimist International, peace, understanding between people and communication are core values, that enable women and children to live in security and realise their full potential.
Heidrun Konrad, SI/E President 2003-2005 dedicated her biennium to peace-promoting projects. Monique Rivière, SI President 2005-2007, acknowledged the importance of a peaceful environment and continued the theme during her biennium. SI/E created a Peace Prize to honour a particularly outstanding peace project. Every two years the Prize is awarded to a women or group of women doing sustainable work in the field of human rights, gender-related violence and/or armed conflicts. The winner receives a certificate from SI/E, a statue designet by Soroptimist Bettina Scholl Sabbatini and cash prize.
The first Peace Prize was awarded at the SI/E congress in Vienna in 2005, the second on the UN International Day of Peace in Lugano in 2007.
For the Peace Prize 2009 Unions and clubs nominated nine excellent candidates – women with different backgrounds and interests - , but who share a dedication and commitment to activities promoting peace and improving quality of life.
The jury – consisting of SI/E President Mariet Verhoef-Cohen, IPP Monique Rivière, SI/E President Elect Eliane Lagasse, Swiss Union President Emma Brugnoli and Union of Norway Governor Karin Guttormsen – had the difficult task in selecting a winner, as all candidates would be worthy recipiens of the prize.
The winner of the SI/E Peace prize 2009 is: Valdete Idrizi, nominated by SI club of Prishtina/Kosovo. She is active in multiethnic peace building.
speech > here <
Powerpoint Presentation > here <
