CRI听力:2017 Right Livelihood Awards or Alternative Nobel Prize announced

The Laureates of this year's Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the Alternative Nobel Prize, have been announced in Stockholm.

The announcement was made at the international Press Center by Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation and Maina Kiai, Jury member and former UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.

Maina Kiai explained the nature of this year's awards.

"It is resilient, it is courage, it is persistent and it is innovative."

This year's honorary award is given to American lawyer Robert Bilott for exposing a decades-long history of chemical pollution, winning long-sought justice for victims, and setting a precedent for effective regulation on hazardous substances.

"Dupont Chemicals is a company making Teflon on which people have on their frying pans and pots which is nonsticky. So he found there is a connection between the Teflon and the illness in that small town people get, so he took the case to court and he won. And what is fascinating was that he convinced those people to use the water money to do more research and more investigation. "

The cash award of 3 million Swedish kronor is shared equally by Colin Gonsalves from India, Khadija Ismayilova from Azerbaijan and Yetnebersh Nigussie from Ethiopia.

Gonsalves was awarded for his tireless and innovative use of public interest litigation over three decades to secure fundamental human rights for India's most marginalised and vulnerable citizens.

Ismayilova was awarded for her courage and tenacity in exposing corruption at the highest levels of government through outstanding investigative journalism in the name of transparency and accountability.

Nigussie, who is blind, was awarded for her inspiring work promoting the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities, allowing them to realize their full potential and changing mindsets in our societies.

Established in 1980, the Right Livelihood Award have honoured and supported 170 laureates from 69 countries including Chinese solar entrepreneur Huang Ming.