Blair awarded medal for peace efforts

Published Thursday, 01 July 2010

Tony Blair has been named by the USA's National Constitution Centre as the winner of its prestigious Liberty Medal for 2010.

The former prime minister will receive his gong - awarded for "his steadfast commitment to conflict resolution" - from the Centre's chairman Bill Clinton on 13 September in Philadelphia.

Previous recipients of the medal include Nelson Mandela, who won jointly with his predecessor as South African president FW de Klerk in 1993, Mikhail Gorbachev, Lech Walesa, US presidents Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr and Bill Clinton, U2 singer Bono and film-maker Steven Spielberg.

Announcing the award, which comes with $100,000 in prize money, the Centre cited Mr Blair's role in advancing peace in Northern Ireland, his work as an international envoy in the Middle East, his involvement in initiatives to improve governance in Africa and tackle climate change, and the work of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.

Mr Clinton said: "It was a privilege to work with my friend Tony Blair to help end 30 years of sectarian violence and broker a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, to stop the killing in and mass exodus from Kosovo, and to develop policies that would improve living conditions for people in both our countries.

"Now, as a private citizen, Tony continues to demonstrate the same leadership, dedication and creativity in promoting economic opportunity in the Middle East and the resolution of conflicts rooted in religion around the world, and is building the capacity of developing nations to govern honestly and effectively."

Thanking the Centre, Mr Blair said: "Freedom, liberty and justice are the values by which this medal is struck.

"Freedom, liberty and justice are the values which I try to apply to my work on governance in Africa and on preparing the Palestinians for statehood.

"They are the values which drive the work of my faith foundation as we try to show that people of different faiths can live together constructively in peace and harmony."

Mr Blair's office said he will be donating the 100,000-dollar prize money to two of his charities - the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative.

Comments

6 Comments

stevie in belfast wrote (689 days ago):

Lorna this place is a lot better thah it used to be, dont you agree?. If that means the prime minister talking to ''terrorists'' then so be it. Gradually the innocents families will start to get answers but it will take time, look how long it took for the bloody sunday families to get their answers.

lorna in limavady wrote (690 days ago):

John.. your comments are as silly as you claim mine to be. Peace has not been restored in NI when you see what happens every summer. People are still driven out of homes. Yes ,the Bombs and killing are less. Tony Blair came in got the prisioners released. Talked to terrorists both sides and then came peace. The innocent victims see no justice and still no peace. This is not rants, these are the facts. Any Prime Minister could have done the same.

Ian R Selbie in UK wrote (691 days ago):

Tony Blair "Liberty" medal when he has condemned the Iraqis to a future under the US flag as they rape their oil fields.This is the man who made his senior advisor change his decision the invasion of Iraq was illegal. He has done nothing for the Palestinians and its interesting that the Centres President is jewish as it was the US in 1948 who helped the jews take over what was Palestine. All maps pre 1948 show only Palestine, NO Israel and all Blair has done is brown nose former cretinous US President George Bush

John in Larne wrote (691 days ago):

Lorna, Your RANTS often make me chuckle but this one takes the prize for idiocy. Conflict resolution requires that ALL parties involved in the conflict must Talk to each other and find a form of compromise. The Medieval ideal of putting the enemy to the sword or siege is why the Gaza strip is being starved out of existence with thousands of women & children dying simply to satisfy the BLOOD LUST of the Israeli right wing. Lorna, If you have the power & authority, would you turn the Bogside into a GAZA Strip just to satisfy your own Blood lust?

Mike in Antrim wrote (692 days ago):

Oh dear, St Tony what next?

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