Liberia's Double Success in the Nobel
…A First for Africa

Monrovia, Liberia December 9, 2011 -

Eleven years following passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 that made violence against women in armed conflict an international security issue and underlined the need for women to become participants on an equal footing with men in peace processes and peace work in general, the world gives official recognition to the outstanding works of three women rights pioneers on December 10, 2011 in the beautiful Norwegian city of Oslo.

On that day, Africa's first female President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, will join ranks with illustrious world peace icons such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Wangari Muta Maatha, President Barack Obama and countless other luminaries as she shares the limelight with her Liberian and American counterparts, peace activist Leymah Gbowee and women rights advocate Tawakkul Karman, to receive the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's selection by the Norwegian Nobel Committee on October 7, 2011 was accordingly based on her contributions to “securing peace in Liberia, promoting economic and social development, and strengthening the position of women”; while Madam Leymah Gbowee was chosen because she mobilized and organized women across ethnic and religious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war in Liberia, and to ensure women's participation in elections. Gbowee continued to work to enhance the influence of women in West Africa during and after war. 

As the world celebrates this auspicious world event, the Liberia Media Center has joined thousands of Liberians to give plaudits to President Sirleaf and Madam Gbowee for further elevating Liberia's image among the comity of nations.

“In all fairness, for two Liberians to be selected at once for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize is truly exceptional,” says Lawrence Randall, Executive Director of the Liberia Media Center, noting that Liberians should be proud of such achievement.

The Nobel Peace Prize is an international prize which is awarded annually by the Norwegian Nobel Committee according to guidelines laid down in Alfred Nobel's will. The Peace Prize is one of five prizes that have been awarded annually since 1901 under the auspices of the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm. The December 10 Oslo Event is expected to draw an array of world leaders, diplomats, dignitaries and stars, gathering to bear testimony to the groundbreaking achievements of the three Nobel laureates.