STOCKHOLM – People should mobilise on a massive scale to demand freedom, which is the only way to make the world a safe place, said Ukrainian human rights defender Oleksandra Matviichuk on Wednesday as she received the 2022 Right Livelihood Award in Stockholm.
“Common people have a much greater impact than they can even imagine,” said Matviichuk, Chairwoman of the Center for Civil Liberties. “Massive mobilisation of common people all around the world can change world history quicker than UN intervention.”
“We should support each other in this struggle for freedom,” she added. “Only by spreading freedom will we make our world safer.”
Besides the 2022 Laureates, previous Right Livelihood Award recipient Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg also took part in the event, commenting on a lawsuit launched against the Swedish state by youth climate activists last week.
“Countries like Sweden are disproportionately responsible for the climate crisis, and therefore they need to act, they need to take responsibility and lead the way – and they are not doing that,” Thunberg said.
“By choosing actively not to do that – that is not only illegal, it is also a betrayal towards all present and future generations. That is why 636 children and young people in Sweden are now suing the Swedish state.”
Other previous Right Livelihood Laureates Egyptian woman’s rights defender Mozn Hassan and a representative of the Russian human rights organisation Memorial also spoke at the event. Memorial and Matviichuk’s Center for Civil Liberties are joint recipients of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
“It’s prohibited in Russia to be against the war,” said Memorial’s Alexandra Polivanova. “But we try to do everything we can to overcome Russian imperialistic ambitions and transform Russian society so that it will be dangerous neither for neighbours nor for Russians.”
This year’s Right Livelihood Award was presented tonight to:
Fartuun Adan and Ilwad Elman “for promoting peace, demilitarisation and human rights in Somalia in the face of terrorism and gender-based violence.”
Oleksandra Matviichuk and the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL) “for building sustainable democratic institutions in Ukraine and modelling a path to international accountability for war crimes.”
Cecosesola of Venezuela “for establishing an equitable and cooperative economic model as a robust alternative to profit-driven economies.”
Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) “for their courageous work for climate justice and community rights violated by extractivist energy projects in Uganda.”
Watch the Award Presentation here.
Access and download photos from the event.
Find other photos and videos of the Laureates here.
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Media contacts
International media: Emoke Bebiak, emoke.bebiak@rightlivelihood.org, +41 78 333 84 84
German media: Julia Naumann and Nina Tesenfitz, presse@rightlivelihood.org, +49 170 5763 663
Spanish media: Nayla Azzinnari, nayla@rightlivelihood.org, +54 9 11 5460 9860
Swedish media: Sydney Nelson, sydney.nelson@rightlivelihood.org, +46 73 043 13 01
Eastern European media: Marina Shupac, marina.shupac@rightlivelihood.org, +41 76 746 13 59
Photos, videos: Mikaela Fredrikson, mikaela.fredrikson@rightlivelihood.org
