Nobel winner Hume receives Gandhi prize

Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume today collected another award for his contribution towards the end of conflict in Northern Ireland.

The SDLP leader was in India to be presented with the Gandhi Peace Prize, the country’s premier prize, at a ceremony in the President’s Residence in Delhi.

A jury chaired by Indian Prime Minister Shri Atal Begari Vajpayee unanimously decided to confer the award on Mr Hume, who was described as a man who had been ‘‘instrumental in heralding a new era of justice, peace and reconciliation in Ireland’’.

The Indian government said that in honouring Mr Hume ‘‘the Indian nation pays tribute to an extraordinary man, who by his fearlessness, selflessness and dedication to the cause of humanity upheld those ideals which were dearest to Mahatma Gandhi’’.

The Gandhi Peace Prize was launched in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of his birth. Previous winners have included Nelson Mandela, Dr Julius Nyerere, the former President of Tanzania, and Dr A T Ariyarante, founder President of the Sarvodaya Movement in Sri Lanka.

After receiving his prize Mr Hume was travelling to Sri Lanka at the invitation of INPACT - the Initiative for Political and Conflict Transformation.

He will meet the President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, cross party MPs and business leaders.

He was invited to the country to discuss his experiences of conflict resolution to assist them in their own peace process.