Why a Peace Prize?

Alfred Nobel signed his last will providing for the establishment of the Nobel Prize. The Nobel peace price is awarded annually to “the persons whose work has been of the greatest benefit to mankind.” Many great personalities have been awarded this price because of their fight for a just society and a better future.

The founders of the Students Peace Prize felt strongly that students fighting for peace and human rights were often neglected or forgotten by the media and politicians. ISFiT believes that students are, and have been, important in the work for democracy worldwide. And by awarding the Student Peace Prize we hope to draw attention to those students or students’ organisations that put their life at risk when fighting for their basic human rights.

Who is the Peace Prize given by?

The Student Peace Prize is a prize on behalf of all the students in Norway.

Students in Norway are fortunate to have the opportunity to get education and to have student democracy. However, we want to give support and encouragement to those students who have to fight for their rights and who are willing to risk their lives to give other students a better future.

Thorvald Stoltenberg, President of the Norwegian Red Cross, and member of the Student Peace Prize committee said, when awarding the Student Peace Prize to ZINASU in 2003 "This is an award to students who work for freedom and democracy in Zimbabwe, and this is a difficult and dangerous job."

Through the Students Peace Prize Students in Norway want to focus on those students and students’ organisations throughout the world that bravely fight suppressing and non-democratic governments. They are doing an important, but often dangerous job, and we want them to feel that their work is being appreciated and that students around the world want to award their admirable strength and willpower.

ISFiT as an arena

ISFiT has grown to become the world's largest thematic student festival. At ISFiT, a diversity of young people get the opportunity to meet each other, and the festival is an arena for overcoming cultural, political and religious boundaries, in order to promote tolerance and understanding.

Tolerance and understanding are key words for many students’ organisations fighting for their right to education, security, and a better future. They get together to fight for a common goal, and they overcome their differences in their struggle for understanding and acknowledgement. Through fighting for their own rights, students also put focus on human rights’ issues. By doing this, students also play a great part in the important work for peace throughout the world.

Who has received the Peace Prize?

The Student Peace Prize is awarded to a student or a student organisation that has done important work for human rights, democracy, peace and student rights.

The prize is awarded every second year, and the laureate receives NOK 50 000.

ISFiT launched the Student Peace Prize for the first time in 1999. It was awarded to East Timor Student Solidarity Council (ETSSC) and Antero Benedito da Silva from East Timor, for their work of reconciliation and broad-based participation in the decision making of East Timor's future.

In 2001 the All Burma Federation of Student Unions with their leader Min Ko Naing received the Student Peace Prize. The students of Burma have been known for their courage, endurance and non violence means in the struggle against one of the world's most brutal regimes and have made an admirable effort to restore human rights, democracy, academic freedom and peace in Burma.

Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (ZINASU) was awarded the peace prize in 2003 for their long and hard struggle for basic human rights under Robert Mugabe's dictatorial regime.

The 2005 Student Peace Prize laureate was Asociacion Colombiana de Estudiantes Universitarios, ACEU. The organisation has fought a long-lasting non-violent battle for a democratic and free Colombia and for student’s right to education and student-democracy.

Charm Tong was the laureate of 2007, after her long struggle against oppression in Burma.

What does the prize mean for the winners?

The Student Peace Prize is meant to give inspiration to continue working for basic human rights, democracy and the right to education. We want to show the winners that the international society is supporting them in their fight for the right to education and democracy. Those who receive the price will hopefully be encouraged to continue their important work and feel that the job they are doing is being appreciated and valued by other students around the world.

Francis Sejerstedt, former leader of the Nobel Price Committee declared: “The effects of this peace prize are twofold. Firstly, it is an encouragement for those who receive the price and their cause. Secondly, it is for every student.”

Equally important, the Student Peace Prize gives the winners a lot of media attention. They will have the opportunity to present their cause to the media and their history, their motivation and their fight for a better future will reach out to thousands of people all over the world.

In 2003 when the Student Peace Prize was awarded to ZINASU, Mr Nkululeko Sibanda, the president of the organisation was greatly honoured to be awarded the prize, stated that "The prize is a sign of achievement and we hope that we can be able to use it as a base to fight harder struggles for the improvement of people’s lives in the rest of the world."

Photo: Fotogjengen ved Studentersamfundet i Trondhjem