Nobel Women's Initiative

Today, Friday October 5 Mairead Corrigan Maguire presented the RAW in WAR Anna Award, on behalf of all of her sister laureates of the Nobel Women's Initiative, at the Frontline Club in London.

On the 7th of  October 2006, Russian investigative journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, was killed in Moscow. A special evening honouring Anna on the first anniversary of her murder and the launch of the RAW in WAR Anna Politkovskaya Award for women human rights defenders from war and conflict was held at the frontline Club. The award will be given every year to a woman human rights defender from a conflict zone in the world who, like Anna, stands up for the victims, often at a great personal risk.

This year's award was presented by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire  to Natalia Estemirova, a close friend and colleague of Anna as well as a courageous human rights defender and freelance journalist, working in Chechnya for the human rights organization, Memorial.  Natalia said:

"I am proud to receive an award in the name of Anna and honouring what Anna stood for...Freedom is not something given to the person.  Freedom matters only if you feel free inside yourself.  Anna was absolutely free."

We remembered Anna and her work in pursuit of the truth with John Sweeney, Natasha Kandic, a prominent human rights lawyer from Belgrade, Mariana Katzarova, founder of RAW in WAR, and many others in the audience, who knew Anna and her work. A short film about Anna Politkovskaya and a specially filmed reading from Vanessa Redgrave of Anna's work was shown. We also spoke on the phone to Anna's sister, Elena Kudimova, in Moscow and to Oksana Chelysheva and Sergey Kovalyov in Nizny Novgorod.

RAW in WAR (Reach All Women in WAR) is a new international human rights NGO supporting women human rights defenders and women and girl victims of war and conflict around the world. Mariana Katzarova founded RAW in WAR  in 2006, after working as a journalist and human rights advocate in the war zones of Bosnia, Kosovo and Chechnya, including 10 years as the Russia Researcher for Amnesty International.  

Statement by Nobel Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire on the RAW in WAR Anna Politkovskaya Award  

On behalf of my sister Nobel Peace Laureates, Shirin Ebadi, Jody Williams, Betty Williams,  Wangari Maathai, and Rigoberta Menchu, I am honoured to support and attend the launch of Reach All Women in War (RAW) Anna Politkovskaya Award and to present the lst Annual Anna Award to Natashia Estemirova.  This Award will be presented each year to woman Human rights defenders from areas of war and conflict, and it will keep alive the spirit of Anna Politkovskaya, and acknowledge women from around the world, who are courageously working as human rights defenders.

Anna was a seeker and a teller of truth.  As a woman activist and journalist from Russia reporting from the war in Chechnya, her reports of atrocities against civilians in Chechnya, by both the Russian and Chechen authorities and her attempts to protect the victims of those wars and conflict, put her own life in danger.  Tragically one year ago she was murdered and paid the ultimate price with her life, a risk she always was aware of.  We call upon the Russia Government to bring to justice both those who murdered and those who ordered the murder of Anna, and in doing so we remember and give thanks for her life of courage and truthtelling in the face of grave danger.  Anna is truly an inspiration and model for all journalists who, in an increasingly dangerous world for journalists, nevertheless maintain their professionalism and integrity.  To such brave journalists we say thank you'.       

I have pleasure in presenting the Anna Award to Natashia Estemirova from Chechnya.  Natashia is a woman activist and journalist from the war in Chechnya.  She was a good friend of Anna and worked alongside her in Chechnya, getting out the facts and truth of the Chechians death and suffering from violence and war.  Natashia is a worthy recipient   of this 1^st Anna award and we thank her for all she continues to do as a human rights defender in Chechnya and Russia.  We pledge our ongoing support and solidarity with Natashia in her work.

In remembering Anna and acknowledging Natashia we also remember another woman of courage, and Sister Nobel Peace Laureate, Daw Aung Sang Suu Kyi,  currently in prison for her work for Human rights and Democracy in Burma.    We call upon the Burmese/Myanmar Government, to release ASSK all political prisoners, and Buddhist monks, and open all
inclusive dialogue in order to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict.

As you know I come from Northern Ireland, and we have resolved our own violent conflict, not through abuse of Human right, Militarism or Paramilitarism, but through all inclusive dialogue and negotiations.  So too with Russia/Chechnya, and Burma/Myanmar, all these violent conflicts can be solved.  I therefore believe the UN, HR Council, EU and other bodies, should play a role in pushing for National reconciliation Commissions to support peaceful transition to peace and democracy, in these ongoing deep conflicts, which are causing so much suffering to their peoples.  Mairead Maguire (Nobel Peace Laureate l976) Peace People, NI. www.peacepeople.com

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To read the commemorative article, The courage of Anna Politkovskaya, by Natashia Estemirova, winner of the first annual RAW in WAR Anna Politkovskaya award, click here.

For the BBC News interview with Natashia Estemirova, click here. 

Articles on Anna Politkovskaya and RAW in WAR Anna Politkovskaya award:

• A day to remember Anna Politkovskaya, The Times, 6 October 2007
• Grozny activist receives inaugural Anna Politkovskaya award, Radio Free Europe, 5 October 2007
• CPJ to Putin: World is watching Politkovskaya case, Reuters, 4 October 2007