On 17 September, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme will host two Right Livelihood Laureates:  Francisco Whitaker (Brazil) and Plenty International, represented by Peter Schweitzer (USA).  The laureates will participate in discussions on volunteerism and social activism, together with the Executive Coordinator of UNV, Flavia Pansieri. 

The event will take place at the UN premises in Bonn (Langer Eugen building) from 14:00-15:30.  This is a side event of the annual meeting of the Right Livelihood Award Laureates, hosted by the City of Bonn from 14-19 September.  The Right Livelihood Award, also known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize," was established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull to honour those "offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today."  This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Award with the theme, "Changing Course – Reclaiming our future – 30 years Right Livelihood Award."

As UNV prepares for the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers, the event will highlight the role of volunteerism and social activism in advancing progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  This event also coincides with the first day of the UN campaign to Stand Up against Poverty (17-19 September).

About the panellists:

Francisco (Chico) Whitaker is an activist who has worked for democracy and against corruption throughout his life, both in Brazil and in exile. He is one of the founders of the World Social Forum (WSF) and received the Right Livelihood Award in 2006 for “a lifetime’s dedicated work for social justice.” He is also a member of the World Future Council, which brings the interests of future generations to the centre of policy making.

Peter Schweitzer is the Executive Director of Plenty International, an international volunteer organization focussing on indigenous people, youth, women and the environment. The NGO was founded in 1974 by Stephen Gaskin with the aim of promoting local self-sufficiency in economically disadvantaged or otherwise threatened communities. It was awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 1980 for "caring, sharing and acting with and on behalf of those in need at home and abroad."

Flavia Pansieri is the Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers programme.  Prior to joining UNV she served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Republic of Yemen.  In the past 25 years she has held a number of increasingly responsible positions in a number of UN system agencies and in various countries and headquarters locations. UNV is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers. In 2009, UNV mobilized around 7,500 UNV volunteers to serve peace and development in 130 countries worldwide.    

Please note that for security reasons, interested media is kindly requested to register prior to the event.  Kindly call Simone Oberhollenzer at: +49-228-8152220.

For further information, kindly visit www.unv.org or contact Amina Said (amina[dot]said[at]unvolunteers.org)