The 2008 Right Livelihood Award, nicknamed the 'Alternative Nobel', was handed out at a ceremony in Stockholm Sweden today.
Click here to watch the ceremony
Four woman split the two million Swedish Krona (€191,000) prize for their work in 'offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today'.
The Award, set up in 1980, has 133 Laureates from 57 countries and is widely recognised as the world's premier award for personal courage and social transformation.
Besides the financial support, it enables its recipients to reach out to an international audience that otherwise might not have heard of them.
During today's ceremony, one speaker said he hoped the Award would someday become 'mainstream.'
The Winners
Krishnammal and Sankaralingam Jagannathan (India)
LAFTI (Land for the Tillers' Freedom)
'For two long lifetimes of work dedicated to realising in practice the Gandhian vision of social justice and sustainable human development, for which they have been referred to as 'India's soul'.'
Amy Goodman (US)
Democracy Now!
'For developing an innovative model of truly independent political journalism that brings to millions of people the alternative voices that are often excluded by the mainstream media.'
Asha Hagi (Somalia)
Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC)
'For continuing to lead at great personal risk the female participation in the peace and reconciliation process in her war-ravaged country.'
Monika Hauser (Germany)
medica mondiale
'For her tireless commitment to working with women who have experienced the most horrific sexualised violence in some of the most dangerous countries in the world, and campaigning for them to receive social recognition and compensation.'
