King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Pince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit joined representatives of the Norwegian Government in the packed Oslo City Hall to honour the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize at the Award Ceremony on Saturday. (With new material)
The three winners of the Nobel Peace Prize 2011, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee from Liberia, and Tawakkul Karman from Yemen were in turn called forward to receive their medal and diploma awarded to them for their "non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work."
The prize money of $1.5 million (£958,000) will be shared between them.
In his Presentation Speech, Thorbjørn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said:
"You give concrete meaning to the Chinese proverb which says that "women hold up half the sky". That was why, when giving its reasons for this year's award, the Nobel Committee stated that "We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women acquire the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society".
"We thank you for the hope you awaken in us all. And we congratulate you on this year's Peace Prize."
In her Nobel Prize lecture, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said that she was honoured to be following in the footsteps of the Africans who had won the prize before her, including South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Kofi Annan, the Ghana-born former UN secretary-general.
Mrs Sirleaf also expressed her "deepest sympathy" for the people of Norway in the wake of the terrorist attacks carried out by Anders Behring Breivik on 22 July that led to the deaths of 77 people.
"On behalf of all the women of Liberia, the women of Africa, and women everywhere in the world who have struggled for peace, justice and equality, I accept with humility the 2011 Nobel Prize for Peace," she said.
Leymah Gbowee, also from Liberia, and who led a peaceful campaign to end Liberia's civil war and oust its ex-President Charles Taylor, said in her lecture:
"I am humbled and honoured to have been selected and I receive the prize in the name of women who continue to work for peace, equality and justice across the world."
Tawakkul Karman from Yemen, who founded the organisation Women Journalists Without Chains in 2005, becomes the first Arab woman to win the prize. She adressed the audience in Arabic, and said:
"Thank you for the award, which I consider as an honour to me personally, to my country Yemen, to Arab women, to all women of the world, and to all people aspiring to freedom and dignity. I accept the award on my behalf and on behalf of the Yemeni and Arab revolutionary youth, who are leading today's peaceful struggle against tyranny and corruption with moral courage and political wisdom," Ms Karman said.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who is on an official visit to Australia, sent his congratulations:
“I am delighted over this year’s Nobel Peace Prize award, taking place in Oslo today. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman are all important and worthy Peace Prize Laureates. They have fought for peace and democracy, and are important role models for women in Africa, Arab countries and the rest of the world,” says Prime Minister Stoltenberg.
In the evening, a 2000 strong torch light parade marched up in front of the Oslo Grand Hotel to honour the three Nobel Prize laureates.
This was followed by the traditional Nobel Prize Dinner, to which King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit were also invited.
(NRK/Press release)
