Prior to the Award Ceremony, the Laureates commented on the Award and how they plan to use their prize money. This year, the prize money per laureate is SEK 500,000 (ca EUR 57,000).
Paul Walker said he will “devote the Right Livelihood Award to expanding the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) Coalition in support of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Chemical Weapons Convention, and to strengthening multilateral arms control and verification regimes such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Biological Weapons Convention.“
Raji Sourani told the Right Livelihood Award Foundation that he had never expected how important the Award would be for Palestine. “Since news of the award broke, my office has been inundated with victims, colleagues, and former clients expressing their support and happiness. This award says that we are not alone. That people understand our struggle. That there is hope. (…) While States may turn their back, free people around the world stand in solidarity.”
Denis Mukwege plans to us the prize money to strengthen the social-economic programme of Panzi Foundation.
Mukwege believes that the most important impact of Award is the perception that the world is mobilising to end the suffering of the Congolese women. He feels that the pressure of the international community on the perpetrators of war and rapist is very strong this time. The international community has never taken seriously the suffering of women in conflict, and his work will continue until the world becomes aware of the severity of sexual violence against women in conflict.
Hans R. Herren noted that the Award to him blasted his retirement plans.
“Our prize money will go into our project Changing Course in Global Agriculture, which aims to secure food security for the world. With our bottom-up projects, we can show in the field that sustainable ecological agricultural methods boost yields and could provide enough and healthy food for the world’s population. With our top-down approach at international level, we support governments in analysing their food systems and charting the course to a sustainable agriculture and effective distribution systems. The two approaches combined look very promising.”
