Right Livelihood Award facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Right Livelihood Award
Presented by	Right Livelihood
Country	Sweden
First awarded	1980

The Right Livelihood Award is a special prize given to people and groups who find amazing and practical ways to solve the world's biggest problems. It's often called the "Alternative Nobel Prize" because it honors work in areas the traditional Nobel Prize doesn't always cover, like protecting the environment and fighting for human rights.

The award was started in 1980 by Jakob von Uexküll, a German-Swedish man who wanted to support people making a real difference. He sold his valuable stamp collection for one million dollars to get the money to start the prize. Every year, a group of judges chooses the winners, who are announced in the autumn and receive their awards in Stockholm, Sweden, in early December.

What Is the Award For?
How Is It Different from the Nobel Prize?
Who Has Won the Award?
- Famous Winners
Images for kids
See also

What Is the Award For?

The Right Livelihood Award is given to people who work on important issues like:

Protecting our planet's environment.
Making sure everyone has their basic human rights.
Finding ways for communities to grow that are fair and don't harm the Earth (sustainable development).
Improving health and education for people everywhere.
Working to create peace in the world.

Usually, four winners (called laureates) are chosen each year. They share a prize of €200,000 to help them continue their important work. Sometimes, one of the awards is an honorary one, which means it doesn't come with prize money.

How Is It Different from the Nobel Prize?

Even though it's called the "Alternative Nobel Prize," the Right Livelihood Award is completely separate from the Nobel Foundation. Here are some of the main differences:

Anyone can nominate someone. You don't have to be a special expert to suggest a person or group for the award.
There are no set categories. The award can go to anyone solving an urgent global problem, no matter the field.
The money comes from donations. The prize money is raised from people who believe in the award's mission. The Nobel Prize money comes from the fortune of its founder, Alfred Nobel.

The award ceremony is held in the Swedish Parliament building just before the Nobel Prize ceremony, which highlights its role as an alternative that celebrates different kinds of achievements.

Who Has Won the Award?

Since 1980, the award has been given to over 180 people and organizations from more than 70 countries. The winners are a diverse group of inspiring leaders and activists.

Famous Winners

Greta Thunberg (Sweden, 2019): A young climate activist who inspired millions of students around the world to demand action on climate change.
Edward Snowden (USA, 2014): A whistleblower who showed how governments were secretly watching people's online activities. A whistleblower is someone who exposes secret or improper information within an organization.
Wangari Maathai (Kenya, 1984): She started the Green Belt Movement, which encouraged women to plant millions of trees to fight deforestation in Kenya. She later won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work.
Astrid Lindgren (Sweden, 1994): The famous author of Pippi Longstocking. She won for her books that championed children's rights and imagination.
Denis Mukwege (Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2013): A doctor who has helped thousands of women who were hurt in war. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Memorial (Russia, 2004): An organization that worked to document history and defend human rights in Russia. It also later won the Nobel Peace Prize.