Academics for Peace Granted Aachen Peace Prize

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Academics for Peace has been granted Aachen Peace Prize (AFP). The Academics for Peace will share the prize with Offene Heide initiative from Germany.

The awards will be handed in the ceremony to be held in Germany’s Aachen on September 1, International Day of Peace.

The prize is being given since 1988 to individuals and institutions contributing to develop understanding between peace and peoples.

The award putting emphasis on racism, human rights violations and sufferings caused by war was granted to Leyla Zana and Ludwig Baumann in 1995, and Eren Keskin and Soldier Mothers of Petersburg (Petersburger Soldatenmütter) declining to send their children to war in 2004.

“Peace must prevail”

The committee’s statement said, “We’ve thought Academics for Peace calling for a sustainable peace environment to be created in Turkey and violation rights of the state against the civilians in the region to be ended, fit for the prize”.

“Peace Academics haven’t just drawn attention to importance of ruined cities and historical values by protecting principle of peace, but also established the attitude of ‘We will not be a party to this crime’ against a criminal practice with the people forced to immigrate from their hometowns.

“As Aachen Peace Prize, we hail revolt of Peace Academics against the dirty war in their country. Peace must prevail”.

CLICK - ACADEMICS: WE WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO THIS CRIME

They had said “We will not be a party to this crime”

Academics for Peace had called for state of Turkey to end violence and prepare negotiation conditions via their declaration entitled “We will not be a party to this crime” signed by 1,128 academics.

The signatory academics faced discharges, investigations and detentions. Assist. Prof. Dr. Esra Mungan, Assist. Prof. Dr. Meral Camcı, Assist. Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Kaya, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Ersoy were arrested over “terror propaganda”. The four academics were released in their first hearing held on April 22. The trial is ongoing.

Other owner of the prize: Offene Heide

Deutche Welle reported that Offene Heide with which the Academics for Peace will share the prize is an organization running protests against military exercise center of the NATO and German Army in Magdeburg over 20 years. (BK/TK)