The Nobel Prize and the importance of peace. Center for Civil Liberties held a workshop for students of the Flemish Institute
The Flemish Peace Institute approached the Center for Civil Liberties with a proposal to hold a workshop on the Nobel Peace Prize and discuss the importance of peace with teenagers. On January 23, a group of students visited the Flemish Parliament in Brussels to, in particular, decide on the nomination for the 2024 Nobel Prize.
Every year, the Flemish Peace Institute nominates a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. Previously, the nominees were the International Organization Against Slavery (2023), COVAX (2022), and the protest movement in Belarus (2021). This time, the students were interested in the current situation in Ukraine, the work of the Center for Civil Liberties, and how the prize affected the organization’s activities.
«Look for people and organizations who highlight issues that need to be solved immediately to prevent further massive human rights violations and to provoke a response from the international community. The Nobel Peace Prize is a unique opportunity to unite politicians, capital and citizens in addressing a specific problem», – Roman Nekoliak, coordinator of international cooperation at the Center for Civil Liberties, advised the students.
According to the results of the voting, they chose the organization Intersos, which helps people with vital needs such as shelter, food and clean water. The teenagers also considered it important to participate in the workshop to work with emergencies that are much less covered by the media, such as in Sudan or Niger.
The video from the workshop is available here.
The Flemish Peace Institute is an independent institute for peace research at the Flemish Parliament. It was established in 2004 as a paraparliamentary organization within the Flemish Parliament. The Institute provides information, documentation and recommendations to the Parliament. Its research work addresses issues of relevance not only to politicians, but also to civil society organizations and the general public.
