Building a Culture of Peace

The dream of making a difference: Nobel Prizes

Alfred Nobel drafted several wills before he died, and described the idea of creating awards. He had discussed a possible peace prize with his friend and peace activist Bertha von Suttner. Alfred Nobel died of a stroke on 10 December, 1896, at his home in San Remo, Italy. He was 63 years old. A few weeks later, in January 1897, the world found out what his last wish was. All Nobel's assets, factories and shares were to be sold, and the money was to be put into a fund. The interest from the fund was to finance five annual prizes "for the greatest benefit of mankind": for #physics , #chemistry , #physiology or #medicine , #literature and for #peace . Family and friends should inherit only a small percentage of his fortune.

The will clearly stated that the Nobel Prize laureates could be from anywhere in the world. In his will, Alfred Nobel divided the responsibility for the 5 prizes. He gave the Norwegian Parliament responsibility for the peace prize. The politically independent Norwegian Nobel Committee decides who will receive the peace prize. On 10 December, anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo City Hall during a formal ceremony. The laureate's speech is called the "Nobel Prize lecture", and in it they can share their message with the entire world. The peace prize laureate receives a medal, a diploma and a sum of 10 million Swedish kroner (2021).

"[...] and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses."

The will of Alfred Nobel from 27 November, 1895

Alfred Nobel valued good ideas that could help the world progress. The peace prize displays the force for #good in people - the force that creates positive #change . The peace prize has highlighted individuals and organizations that have shown new ways to respond to the world's major challenges. The award has shown that there are many ways to create peace, including through #relief work, peace #negotiations , nuclear #disarmament , #climate change #activism and international #cooperation . Some of the qualities that awardees have are being attentive, idealistic, motivating, creative, brave and caring. The Nobel Prizes are usually announced during the first full week of October each year. Monday: physiology or medicine. Tuesday: physics. Wednesday: chemistry. Thursday: literature. Friday: peace. The following Monday: economics.

Stopping #war in the courtroom

At the beginning of the 20th century, while European countries were preparing for war, the Norwegian Nobel Committee was acknowledging those who promoted the peaceful resolution of #conflicts through international courts. The first Peace Conference in The Hague, in 1899, declared that international conflicts should be resolved peacefully.

The very first peace prize, in 1901, was shared between Swiss #humanitarian Henry Dunant and one of the leaders of the peace movement, Frenchman Frédéric Passy. The peace movement believed that the world should cooperate better and resolve conflicts in so-called arbitration courts. In these courts, impartial judges would mediate between states. Before 1936, all peace prize laureates were from Europe and the United States, and almost all were men.

Bertha von Suttner was central to the international peace movement and a driving force in establishing an international court. She wrote the book Lay Down Your Arms. She envisioned a peaceful future for the world. If only the great powers disarmed. She was the first female peace prize laureate. Klas Pontus Arnoldsson was a writer and pacifist actively involved in the peace movement. In his Nobel Lecture, he proposed that the women and men of the world should take part in a referendum on abolishing all military forces. Instead of going to war, all international conflicts between peoples and nations should be resolved in an international court, and all countries would pledge to respect the court's decision.

Fraternity between nations

Most peace prizes in the 1920s and 1930s aimed to strengthen international cooperation through the League of Nations and to achieve disarmament. From 1925 several politicians in Germany, France and Britain received the peace prize for the efforts to reach agreements that would prevent a new war. After Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, this became increasingly difficult. He wanted revenge for Germany's defeat in World War I.

US President Woodrow Wilson received the peace prize for founding the League of Nations —a forerunner to the United Nations — which would ensure closer cooperation between states. Wilson wanted to help the losers of World War I, and he proclaimed that oppressed peoples should be free to govern themselves. Wilson's visions and ideas still resonate in international affairs today.

One of the most important questions after World War I was how to ensure peace between France and Germany. The countries foreign ministers, Brian and Stresemann, managed to reach an agreement in The Locarno Pact of 1925. Germany accepted new borders after its defeat in the war and was allowed to join the League of Nations. The agreement between these long-standing rivals gave hope for a peaceful #development in Europe.

After World War I, the peace prize highlighted two important challenges: improving international #cooperation and securing peace between France and Germany.

Disarmament

The issue of disarmament was behind many of the peace prizes in the years before World War II. What could be done about the fascist states' rearmament?

Jane Addams was a sociologist, social worker and anti-imperialist. She was passionate about disarmament and opposed US participation in World War I. Addams founded the Women′s International League for Peace and Freedom. She warned that the harsh treatment of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles could lead to a war of revenge.

The journalist and peace activist Carl von Ossietzky was imprisoned in Nazi Germany in 1933 for revealing its rearmament, which was in violation of international agreements. In 1936 he received the peace prize. Many considered this a harmful provocation and Hitler was furious. Ossietzky died in captivity in 1938.

In the 1930s, Japan attacked China, Italy waged war on Ethiopia, and both Italy and Germany supported the anti-democratic side in the Spanish Civil War. Many peace prizes in this decade attempted to persuade democracies to oppose dictatorships and to support disarmament and the League of Nations.

Following Ossietzky's controversial peace prize, it was decided that members of the government could not be active in the Norwegian Nobel Committee. This rule aimed to clarify the committee's independence.

Lord Robert Cecil, who received the 1937 Nobel Peace Prize, was a supporter of disarmament and the League of Nations.

After World War II, attempts to improve international cooperation continued through a new global organization: the United Nations . The UN was founded in 1945 and 51 countries joined to promote peace, international cooperation, development and human rights. UN Delegate and former US first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, drafted the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights along with René Cassin. The idea that all people have fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression, equality, freedom of religion and the rule of law, is the foundation of the UN's work. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded peace prizes for peace work done by UN organizations, such as aid to refugees, support for worker's rights, food aid, children and education, peacekeeping forces and efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. UNHCR received the peace prize in 1954, which promoted the 1951 Refugee Convention which defines and guarantees rights for refugees.

Combating racism and injustice

Racism and injustice create division, violence, and conflict. They are obstacles to peace and democracy. From the 1960s, the Norwegian Nobel Committee acknowledged people who fought against racial discrimination. Albert Luthull was the leader who brought South Africans together in a nonviolent struggle against the racist apartheid regime. He headed the liberation movement African National Congress (ANC), and began strikes and protests. The government responded by following, imprisoning and harassing him. His was the first peace prize awarded for human rights work. In 1963, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and 250,000 supporters marched on Washington D.C., in a peaceful protest against the racial divide in the southern states. In Washington , King gave his most famous speech, "I Have a Dream ". The following year, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent opposition to #racism .

The struggle against nuclear weapons

Opposition to nuclear weapons was important to the peace movement from the 1950s onwards. In the early 1960s, high tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union almost triggered a nuclear war. Andrei Sakharov was a physicist who had worked on developing the Soviet Union's hydrogen bomb. He gradually became concerned about the nuclear threat. Sakharov received the peace prize for promotion of human rights, disarmament, and international cooperation. Soviet authorities did not allow Sakharov to travel to Oslo to receive the prize. He was later exiled and put under constant surveillance. Alva Myrdal and García Robles were both diplomats and politicians who worked to establish nuclear-weapon-free zones. Myrdal promoted such zones in Europe, and García Robles tried to keep Latin America free of nuclear weapons through agreements between countries. Today, Latin America remains a nuclear-weapon-free zone.

The first "nuclear weapons prize" was awarded in 1959 to British Philip Noel-Baker. "The power to destroy the world by the use of nuclear weapons is a power that cannot be used—we cannot accept the idea of such monstrous immorality,"—Linus Pauling, Nobel Peace Prize 1962. Since then, many Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded for efforts to limit nuclear weapons, most recently in 2017, when the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) received the prize.

Rights for all

Thanks to the mass #media and later the internet, the world became smaller in many ways from the 1980s and 90s onwards. Information about injustice taking place around the world - and those who opposed it — spread faster, to more people. Liberation leader Nelson Mandela and then president Frederik Willem de Klerk received the peace prize for their work to peacefully end apartheid and support development of a new, democratic South Africa. In 1994, the liberation movement ANC took over power in South Africa and Mandela became president after the Klerk. The country's new constitution gave equal rights to all its citizens. Lawyer and judge Shirin Ebadi received the peace prize for her work for democracy and human rights , especially the rights of women and children. As a lawyer, Ebadi has worked for free defending regime critics in Iran. When she criticized the authorities after receiving the prize, they responded by beating up her husband, closing her bank account and taking her peace prize medal. Liu Xiaobo had been working for basic human rights in China for decades when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was one of the architects of Charter 08, a declaration of political change in China. When the award ceremony took place, he was serving a sentence for "inciting subversion of state power", and was not allowed to travel to Oslo.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee often points to the link between democracy, human rights and peace when awarding the peace prize. Rigoberta Menchú Tum was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her struggle for social #justice and #reconciliation based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples. The peace prize has been awarded for efforts to reduce poverty or combat sexual violence, or to people who have worked to protect the environment, freedom of expression, or gender #equality .

Many paths to peace

The first time the prize was awarded primarily for environmental work it went to Wangari Maathai for her promotion of sustainable development, democracy and peace. Mathai was a politician and environmentalist. Her organization, the Green Belt Movement , works to restore the forests of Kenya and to promote sustainability globally. This way, the Green Belt Movement seeks to prevent the poverty and conflicts caused by deforestation.

The courageous blogger and activist Malala Yousafzai was only 17 when she received the Nobel Peace Prize together with Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi. They have both worked to support children's right to #education and to prevent oppression of children and young people. By becoming a young laureate, Malala showed that children and young people can also be change-makers.

Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad received the peace prize for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon in war and armed conflicts. Dr. Mukwege has helped women who were victims of sexual violence in conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Murad, a survivor of kidnapping by the Islamic State, told the world about how the extremist group kept women from the Yazidi minority as sex slaves. This way, she seeks to hold the war criminals accountable.

Compassion in action. The legacy of Fridtjof Nansen

"...The world suffers endless distress, and thousands starve to death every single day, and no one really does anything to help [...] Something must be done, something serious and comprehensive, and not just talk, talk, talk."

Friedtjof Nansen, 1919. Nobel Peace Prize 1922.

In 2022, it is a hundred years since Fridtjof Nansen received the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian polar hero, researcher and diplomat received the prize for his outstanding humanitarian work helping prisoners of war, starving people and refugees. For Nansen, the answer was simple: "When someone suffers distress, you help. Compassion is realpolitik". He based all his humanitarian work on compassion. "No realpolitik in a civilized society is conceivable without a basis in #compassion , #reciprocity , #helpfulness , #trust ," he wrote in 1922.

Nansen was the League of Nation's first High Commissioner for Refugees, and his work laid the foundation for much of today's refugee law. The Nansen passport - an identity document for stateless refugees — gave refugees basic rights such as border crossing, housing and marriage.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continues the legacy of Fridtjof Nansen. Today, 100 million people are displaced around the world. They include #migrants , #refugees , #stateless people and internally displaced persons fleeing war, famine and abuse. The UNHCR leads and coordinates international efforts to protect refugees in situations such as:

• DRC: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women and children. For over 40 years, brutal armed conflicts have ravaged the republic. The war that lasted from 1998 to 2003 is often called Africa's deadliest conflict. Eight African countries and over 25 armed groups were involved. More than 5 million lives were lost and thousands of Congolese were severely abused and forced to flee. According to the United Nations, over 200,000 Congolese women were raped and subjected to sexual torture during the war. A large number of children were recruited as soldiers. Today, DRC still faces major challenges. Poverty and lack of schooling among young Congolese have led to increased recruitment to armed groups in Eastern Congo and an extensive use of child soldiers. Many thousands of women and girls are exposed to sexual violence every year. In addition, raped women are often abandoned by their husbands and shunned by the local community. The lack of school and health services has hit Congolese women and children hard, making them more vulnerable to poverty, disease and violence. Sister Angélique, Catholic nun, devoted much of her life to helping war-traumatized and abused women and children who have fled from conflict in DRC (Centre for Reintegration and Development in Dungu).

• Lesbos: escaping across the sea: During the refugee crisis in 2015, almost half a million people fled across the seas to the island of Lesbos in Greece. During the month of October alone, 10,000 people arrived every single day. Lesbos became Greece's largest reception centre for refugees and migrants. 60% of those who crossed the sea came from war-torn countries of Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Others came from states with long-lasting conflicts and poverty in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East. They all dreamed of a secure life in Europe. For the small island community of Lesbos, however, the crisis led to internal conflicts. In Moria camp, over 20,000 people lived under chaotic and inhuman conditions in a camp originally built for 3,000 individuals. In 2016, an agreement was reached between the European Union and Turkey to control migration from the southeast. Nevertheless, refugees and migrants are still arriving in Lesbos. The work of aid organizations is strictly regulated. For the refugees currently on the island, life has been put on hold. Most wait indefinitely to be notified if they will be granted residence in Europe. Humanitarian organizations criticize European authorities for not taking responsibility for the needs of refugees and repeatedly demand that the most vulnerable should be evacuated.
• South Sudan, when helpers become targets of war: In 2011, the world's youngest country was able to celebrate its independence. But South Sudan's joy was short-lived. In 2015, a brutal civil war broke out in the country. Conflicts between political leaders, struggles for resources, and divisions between the Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups have led to massive suffering, famine, war, and disease for the civilian population. Recruitment of child soldiers, ethnic massacres and brutal sexual violence mean that a large part of the population suffers from long-term trauma. The country also has major problems with combating parasitic diseases, cholera, malaria and measles. The UN says that more than 400,000 South Sudanese have lost their lives, 2.4 million have sought protection in neighboring countries, and almost 2 million have been internally displaced. The situation is described as one of the biggest refugee crises in Africa. The vulnerable situation of the population has worsened because hospitals and health personnel have become targets of war. Patients, healthcare professionals and aid workers are abducted, abused and killed. South Sudan is now one of the most dangerous places in the world for providers of emergency medical care.

• Statelessness, a life without rights: UNHCR estimates that over 10 million people in the world are not citizens of any country. They are stateless and are therefore denied the right to a future and a normal life. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to the creation of 15 new independent states. They became home to 293 million people, some of whom gained new nationality while others lost their citizenship and became stateless. In addition to Thailand and Vietnam, the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are among the countries where most undocumented migrants have been granted citizenship. In 2019 Kyrgyzstan became the first country to abolish statelessness. The United Nations' IBelong campaign aims to abolish statelessness by 2024. Citizenship and identity papers are required to participate fully in society. Undocumented people are often denied access to education, work and health care. They lose the right to own property, participate in political elections and move freely across national borders. they often live a life of exclusion and isolation. There can be many different reasons for statelessness. The most common are war, conflict, migration, changing borders and discrimination based on gender, ethnicity or religion.
• The conflict in Yemen: The United Nations describes the civil war in Yemen as the world's largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. 4 million of the country's population are displaced, and close to 17 million people are at risk of starvation. 80% of the country's 28 million inhabitants depend on humanitarian aid. The conflict between the Houthi movement in the north and the centralized power in the south has been going on since 2015. The situation has worsened due to interference from regional and international powers, the use of controversial weapons and brutal attacks on civilians. Yemen's economy has collapsed. The warring parties are fighting for control of raw materials and trade and blocking access to humanitarian aid while the population suffers. The extensive damage the war has inflicted on schools and educational institutions, has had major consequences for the young generation in Yemen. 2 million school-age children do not go to school. At the same time, necessary health care is prevented through attacks on health institutions and a lack of respect for humanitarian principles (humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, testimony, universality, access to the victims and monitoring of the fulfilment of their needs, proximity, proportionality and responsibility). According to Doctors Without Borders , at least one child dies every 10 minutes from preventable diseases.

Eight principles for dialogue:

1. Dialogue should be a basic attitude. Meet others with respect, equality, openness and curiosity. The 14th Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for advocating peaceful solutions based upon #tolerance and mutual #respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Tibetan people.

2. Create safe spaces. It is important to look for the safe spaces and frameworks in both a physical and figurative sense where dialogue can take place. Mairead Corrigan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with Betty Williams in 1976, for campaigning against the conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.

3. Include all relevant parties. Exclusion can help to create division and lack of belonging. The National Dialogue Quartet was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.

4. In a dialogue, you must listen. Listening will lead to increased understanding and empathy. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his non-violent struggle for civil rights in the United States.

5. Let everyone share their experiences. In the dialogue between you and me, it is important that you recognize my experiences as important as your own experiences. Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for his resolute efforts to bring Colombia's 30 year-long civil war to an end.

6. Ask questions. Asking open-ended and exploratory questions is helpful in understanding others better, especially when you disagree deeply with someone. Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her efforts for democracy and human rights, especially for the rights of women and children.

7. Talk about the difficult topics. Dialogue provides an opportunity to put a difficult topic on the agenda. It is a form of bridge building with others both on a personal level and between nations. Nadia Murad was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with Denis Mukwege in 2018 for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in armed conflict.

8. Contribute to forgiveness and reconciliation. We all have something we should forgive others or ourselves for having done. Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his role as unifying leader in the non-violent campaign against apartheid in South Africa.

Freedom of expression

"If you have no facts, you can't have truths, you can't have trust. If you don't have any of these, you don't have a democracy". "There is no better time to be a journalist! The times it is most dangerous is the time it is most important."

Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize 2021.

"Freedom of expression is the foundation of human rights, the source of humanity, and the mother of truth"

Liu Xiaobo, Nobel Peace Prize 2010.

"A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy"

Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace Prize 1993.

World Press Freedom Index

Liberal democracy index

With the Nobel Peace Prize 2021, the Norwegian Nobel Committee highlighted freedom of the press and expression as important conditions for democracy and lasting peace. Democracy limits war and conflict. A democratic state rarely attacks another democratic state. The maps show the status of freedom of the press and of democracy in countries around the world. the darker the color, the less freedom of expression / #democracy .

The Peace Prize for 2021 was awarded to the two journalists Maria Ressa (The Philippines) and Dmitry Muratov (Russia) "for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace".

Being a journalist is a life-threatening job , one of the most dangerous professions in the world. In many countries, journalists can face violence and harassment, imprisonment and can even be killed because of the work they do. Many journalists died defending the right to freedom pf speech. For every journalist who is killed or imprisoned, many others are threatened into silence. Since 1992, at least 1,400 journalists have been killed while working. And it is not the war reporters who are most at risk: the vast majority of journalists who are killed are trying to uncover abuses of power, corruption and crime in their own homeland. Nobody knows for certain who is behind the killings: 90% of them are never solved. The countries where most journalists are killed are Mexico, the Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. At any time, there are around 300 journalists in prison. Most of these are in prisons in China, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia — or missing.

The Russian war on the media: On 24 February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine. Cities are devastated, thousands are killed, millions have fled the country. The invasion of Ukraine has made conditions for journalists and free media outlets in Russia even worse. Journalists are not allowed to use the word "war", but must report on the so called "special military operation". Those who do not adhere to these rules, will face 15 years in prison. More and more free media are shutting down and journalists are leaving the country. On 28 March 2022, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov's newspaper Novaya Gazeta announced that it was suspending all online and print publications for the time being, as they had received a second warning from the state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor. One day after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Novaya Gazeta was published in Russian and Ukrainian under the headline "Russia. bombed, Ukraine". With the decision to publish in both languages, the editors made a clear statement in favor of a dialogue with Ukraine - in complete contrast to Putin's strategy of not negotiating directly with the Ukrainian government. On March 4, the State Duma (the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia) introduced military censorship. Media outlets are prohibited from publishing "knowingly false" information about the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine. We are also banned from using certain terms to describe what is happening in our brother country, so must instead refer to it as the "special operation". Journalists face up to 15 years in a penal colony if they violate these laws. "The authorities are actively selling the idea of war. The government and its propagandists bear full responsibility for the militaristic rhetoric on state television channels. under the influence of aggressive marketing, people are becoming accustomed to seeing it as an acceptable possibility. Today's ideologues are promoting the idea of death for the Motherland, not life for the Motherland," Dmitri Muratov, 10 december, Nobel Peace Prize Lecture, Oslo, Norway. After Putin signed the new censorship law, numerous independent media outlets had their licenses revoked by the government or closed their editorial offices for their own reasons. Novaya Gazeta, on the other hand, dared to perform the balancing act and appropriately titled the first edition after the introduction of the censorship law: "A copy of Novaya, created in accordance with all the rules of Russia's amended criminal code". A title that, on the one hand, describes what will be found in the newspaper, but at the same time points to the far-reaching limitations in terms of content. The visual language shows what had to be hidden due to the restrictions: 4 dancers from Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake", in the background a mushroom cloud. Swan Lake has been considered code for covering up the truth in Russia ever since Soviet TV showed classical music and ballet performances instead of the tanks rolling through Moscow during the 1991 coup. What the mushroom cloud stands for should not need any explanation.

In Russia, the television - together with its state channels - is referred to as zombie box. In the horror film genre, a zombie is a reanimated corpse who has degenerated into a mindless tool of the one who brought him to life. A clear allusion to the intended effect of Russian state #propaganda . The crack refers to the journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, who stormed into the studio during the highly rated evening news "Vremya" on Moscowstate television and held up a banner with the following message to the camera: "Stop the war. Don't believe the propaganda. Here you will be lied to. Russians are against war." She made a crack in the zombie box - live on the first channel. Footage of what happened was shared by nearly all the Russian press by 10pm on Monday. But by Tuesday morning, nearly all news of the incident had disappeared from the headlines. The press also shared Ovsyannikova's sign on social media, but the text was blurred.

Ever since the Soviet era, there has been widespread #censorship and spreading of #disinformation and propaganda in Russia. The average Russian understands that whatever is communicated in the mainstream media is controlled by the Kremlin and that much publicly available information is censored, fabricated or distorted. Freedom of the press is under threat, especially under the introduction of new laws in 2012, which gave the authorities the power to label journalists, the media and other organizations (independent #journalism ) as so-called "foreign agents". This has major consequences for those who end up on the list; comprehensive reporting, a requirement to put "foreign agent" on everything they publish, and fines or imprisonment if they do not meet these requirements. the law was further tightened in 2014 and 2020. Just hours after the announcement of Dmitry Muratov's nobel Peace Prize, 9 journos and 3 news organizations were added to the list of foreign agents. The internet democratized information, increasing personal freedom, influence, and autonomy. However, we are living an age of increasingly sophisticated digital information manipulation When it is difficult to find correct information or separate lies from facts, it is easier for conflict-creating images of the world to gain a foothold. This is especially dangerous in countries with little freedom of expression and where few people have access to quality assured free media. Some populists and authoritarian leaders use disinformation — or claims that others are spreading lies — as an effective political weapon. In this way, they can create confusion about what is a lie and what is true.

Access to information is not the problem in Russia, knowing what is true and false is. There are often so many different versions of events that people constantly doubt what is true. One weapon the Kremlin has used in this new battle for truth is the so-called "troll factories" with their networks of social media accounts and automated profiles (bots) that click and like and help promote content so that it appears more accepted. Novaya Gazeta has exposed many such factories, among them the now famous four-floor, state-of-the-art troll factory in St. Petersburg known as the Internet Research Agency (IRA). The IRA aims to spread and influence issues on behalf of Russia's economic and political elite. Examples od this are the criticism of opposition figures, such as Alexei Navalny, criticism of Ukrainian and American foreign policy and discrediting the competence of Western politicians - in addition to praising Putin and his policies.

In the period after the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, there was plenty of optimism in Russia. Rigid state control, characterized by #propaganda , censorship, fear and the KGB's secret service activities were to be replaced by a more open and democratic society with freedom of expression. A democratization process was started, including privatization that should transform the planned economy into a market economy. The privatization process let do economic chaos, corruption and organized crime. Today, Russia has one of the world's largest economies, though large differences in living standards still remain. Vladimir Putin has dominated Russian politics for two decades. An amended to the Constitution in 2020 entails that he may continue to do so for the next 20 years as well. The process of democratization that began after the fall of the Soviet Union has stopped, and freedom of expression and the press is limited. Early in his presidency, Putin appointed the director of the secret police as head of broadcasting, and they took control of the Russian media. By making it difficult for independent media to survive financially, revoking licenses and making vague and unclear laws and rules, they made it easier to silence or imprison the political opposition and critical journalists.

Rappler at work: In 2010, Maria Ressa and a group of idealistic journalists came together with a common desire to use technology to serve the public with tools for open and informed discussion. By 2011, they were present on Facebook and in January 2012 they had the funding to establish a media and news channel. Rappler operate on several social media platforms, in addition to their own website and weekly podcast-episodes. They cover a broad range of topics, and do not shy away from reporting on complicated os critical issues. Editorial independence is one of their key principles. Rappler's goal is to educate and empower by informing the public about important topics. They aim to support enlightened public dialogue as well as public participation and #democracy .

Maria Ressa's uncreasing slogan "Hold the line" is an appeal to the world's journalists to keep producing investigative and truthful news. The determination she and her colleagues at Rappler show gives #hope and encouragement for everyone in the #media .

Maria Ressa was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines at a time when democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions. the award also recognizes the importance of revealing how fake news is being used as a weapon to confuse and mislead the public in order to seize or keep power in few hands and deprive people of their rights. Maria Ressa's work is founded on her long-lasting search for #truth and determined belief in the necessity of independent, thorough, and investigative journalism. In recent years, she has focused on how dictators use fake news as an instrument to gain power.

Today, the Philippines is somewhere in between a developing democracy and a dictatorship. President Rodrigo Duterte came to power after his election victory in 2016. His populism, outspokenness and hard-liner attitude has led him to be compared to other "strongmen" such as former US president Donald Trump and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro. Duterte is well known for his relentless crackdown on drug dealers and users. He has encouraged the police and other citizens to kill drug crime suspects without trial or conviction. The Norwegian Nobel Committee says the campaign resembles warfare against the country's own population. As outspoken critics of Duterte, Maria Ressa and her colleagues have been targeted by the regime. She has been a victim of harassment, threats and arrest by Duterte government. Ressa has been accused and convicted of cyber libel, violations of security laws and tax crime. The Philippines is one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. 87 journalists where killed there between 1992 and 2021. Duterte has warned journalists that they are legitimate targets for assassination if they do wrong. Many journalists have been victims of "red-tagging", public accusations that they are militant communists. Despite the government's hostility towards the media, the Philippine free press remains vibrant, and journalists continue to speak up against the government's misconduct and the attempts to discredit them.

Society free, fair and informed. There is no democracy without a free and strong #press .

We all have a role to play in fostering peace. What do you do to help others?

What about doing some of the following? What do you most enjoy doing? Can it benefit others in any way? Respect #HumanRights . Offer #friendship : invite someone to dinner or play football together. Help someone to learn a language. Stay informed: follow organizations and get involved on social media. Hire refugees: be inclusive at work. Become a volunteer: do you have special skills? Use them! Get involved in campaigns such as #IBelong . Volunteer, be kind, do justly, love mercy and be humble.

On 21 September, #PeaceDay , the United Nations calls on all people to lay down weapons and reaffirm their commitment to living in #harmony with one another. The 2022 theme for the International Day of Peace is “End racism. Build peace.”?