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Sima Samar receives 2012 Right Livelihood Award
Sima Samar is one of four recipients of the 2012 Right Livelihood Award for her "for her longstanding and courageous dedication to human rights, especially the rights of women, in one of the most complex and dangerous regions in the world". It is the first time that a Right Livelihood Award goes to Afghanistan. Sima Samar is currently the chairman of Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHR).
The Right Livelihood Foundation describe Sima Samar as a "doctor for the poor, an educator of the marginalised and defender of the human rights of all in Afghanistan. She has established and nurtured the Shuhada Organization that, in 2012, operated more than one hundred schools and 15 clinics and hospitals dedicated to providing education and healthcare, particularly focusing on women and girls. She served in the Interim Administration of Afghanistan and established the first-ever Ministry of Women's Affairs. Since 2004, she has chaired the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission that holds human rights violators accountable, a commitment that has put her own life at great risk."
Founded in 1980, the Right Livelihood Awards are presented annually in the Swedish Parliament and are often referred to as 'Alternative Nobel Prizes'. They were introduced "to honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today". This year, there were 122 proposals from 52 countries. From today, there are 149 Right Livelihood Award Laureates from 62 countries.
The Embassy in Kabul has conveyed its' and the Swedish Government's greetings to Sima Samar.
Read more about Sima Saamar and Right Livelihood.