Greta Thunberg wins the Right Livelihood Award for Climate Action

Teen environment activist, Greta Thunberg has won the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the 'Alternative Noble Prize' along with three others. The organization that honors and supports courageous people for solving global problems awarded Thunberg for her role efforts in inspiring and amplifying political demands for urgent climate action reflecting scientific facts. The organization further said that the 16-year-old personifies the notion that everyone has the power to create change. Thunberg has set her example to empower people from all walks of life to demand political action. Other awardees are Aminatou Haider, Guo Jianmei, and Davi Kopenawa.

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The Right Livelihood Award

The prize was founded by a Swedish-German philanthropist, Jacob von Uexkull in 1980 to honour the efforts of people making a huge difference in the society. Uexell also felt that these awardees are sometimes ignored by the Nobel Prizes. Each winner will also receive 1 million kronor or $103,000. The executive director of the organization, Ole von Uexell said that they honour the four practical visionaries whose leadership has empowered millions of people around the globe to defend their inalienable rights and to strive for a better future on our planet.

The award ceremony is planned on December 4 in Stockholm, which is a week before the Noble Prizes will be handed out. This year, the international jury had considered 142 nominations from 59 countries. 

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'Not the winner'

As reported by an international agency, Greta Thunberg said in a statement that whenever she receives an award, it is not she who is the winner. Thunberg believes that she is a part of a global movement of school children, youth, as well as the adults who have taken an affirmative to defend the planet we live in. According to the teen activist, this honour is a huge recognition for 'Fridays For Future' and the climate strike movement.

Fridays For Future was a movement started by Thunberg on August 20, 2018, in order to urge Global leaders to take action on tackling the climate emergency in the world.

In her speech at the United Nations climate action summit on September 23, Thunberg said “How dare you” to the leaders who according to her are failing this generation by talking about money while the world is on the verge of mass extinction.

Other winners of the Right Livelihood Award include Davi Kopenawa indigenous leader and spokesperson for the Yanomami tribes for his courageous determination to protect the forests and biodiversity of the Amazon. Chinese lawyer, Guo is awarded the prize for her outstanding and persistent work in securing women's rights. Aminatou Haidar, the Moroccan activist is recognized for her steadfast nonviolent action in Western Sahara. 

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