Arundhati Roy wins Peace Prize
[June 1, 2004 - 9.45 GMT] 

Indian novelist and human rights campaigner Arundhati Roy is the recipient of the 2004 Sydney Peace Prize, for her courage in campaigns for human rights and for her advocacy of non-violence.

In her acceptance speech Ms. Roy said, “Today, in a world convulsed by violence and unbelievable brutality the lines between ‘us’ and ‘the terrorists’ have been completely blurred…We don’t have to chose between Imperialism and Terrorism, we have to chose what form of resistance will rid us of both. What shall we chose? Violence or non violence?... We have to chose knowing that when we are violent to our enemies, we do violence to ourselves. When we brutalize others, we brutalize ourselves. And eventually we run the risk of becoming our oppressors.”

Arundhati Roy follows among other distinguished recipients of the Sydney Peace Prize, the founder of the Grameen Bank for the poor, Professor Muhammad Yunus, former Nobel Prize recipient Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, the poet-artist and President of East Timor Xanana Gusmao.

Ms. Roy is the celebrated author of the Booker prize winning novel The God of Small Things.

PRINT THIS STORY

Contact Information: Send mail to gosl@presidentsl.org with questions or comments about this web site. 
Last Updated Date: June 1, 2004  - 9.45 GMT.