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Date: 24/04/06 Time: 11:08 GMTSTI Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize |
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SAIL TRAINING INTERNATIONAL NOMINATED FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Sail Training International, the UK-based charity, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its activities promoting international understanding and friendship through sail training for young people.
The nomination has been made by Svein Roald Hansen, member of the Norwegian Parliament for Fredrikstad. He cites Sail Training International's growing global activities and its international races for sail training Tall Ships which “demonstrate such a strong coherence with the ethos of the Peace prize”.
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Sail Training International works closely with the world's sail training Tall Ships, national sail training organisations and host ports around the world, to help young people benefit from the sail training experience, regardless of their ethnic, religious or social background. The organisation is the world's leading provider of races and events, conferences and seminars, publications, research and other services for the
international sail training community. International understanding and friendship is a core value of the events organised by Sail Training International. Its annual series of Tall Ships' Races in Europe routinely attracts a fleet of 70-100 sail training vessels from up to 20 different countries and with 3-5,000 young trainee crews from up to 30 countries. The premier award in these races is the Sail Training International 'Friendship Trophy'. Recent winners have been the crew of ships from Russia and Oman.
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The Nobel Peace Prize was created in 1901 and is awarded annually by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. It is recognised as the most prestigious prize of its kind and the Committee has traditionally used a very broad definition of 'peace'. Alfred Nobel left most of his wealth to create a family of Prizes, the one for Peace to be awarded to the person or organisation who, among other things, “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations.” Recipients over the years have included many famous men and women, but a number of organisation too, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, Médecins Sans Frontières, the International Labour Organisation, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“Those involved in Sail Training International today have been the main architects of the international sail training activity over recent decades,” says Svein Roald Hansen. “The vision they share, exemplified by the traditions and achievements of their international events and other activities, demonstrate such a strong coherence with the ethos of the Peace Prize. I am proud to propose the organisation for the Nobel Peace prize.”
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Svein Roald Hansen cites in particular the contribution made by The Tall Ships' Races to East-West relations in Europe in the 1970s and 80s, the participation of ships and trainees of many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds in more recent years, and Sail Training International's growing influence and activities around the world. The nomination will be considered by the Nobel Committee later this year in respect of the Peace Prize to be awarded in 2007.
“This is a great tribute to all those volunteers in our national sail training organisations around the world, as well as those who have worked more directly as volunteers and staff in Sail Training International and the International Sail Training Association before it,” says Nigel Rowe, President and Chairman of Sail Training International. “We are all extremely proud to have been nominated.”
Note to editors: Sail Training International was established in 2002 as an independent organisation by those who were involved in organising The Tall Ships' Races and other international activities in the past (as the International Sail Training Association). Its origins were the Sail Training International Race Committee, created to organise the first ever Tall Ships Race 50 years ago. Many involved in Sail Training International today have been engaged in these activities as international volunteers for several decades (including two who have been involved since the first Tall Ships Race in 1956), but the new organisation was created with much wider and global ambitions, now being fulfilled. Its members are the national sail raining organisations of Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA.
For further information contact:
Corinne Hitching (Media Manager - Sail Training International)
corinne.hitching@sailtraininginternational.org
tel +44 (0)2392 586367 fax +44 (0)2392 584661
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