On 19 September 2018, on the occasion of International Peace Day, the Government of Navarra in Spain awarded WILPF with their International Day of Peace prize. The prize is awarded to a person, association or group that has stood out for their contribution to peace and coexistence.
Earlier this year, the Government of the Chartered Community of Navarre announced that WILPF had been chosen to receive the prize for 2018. WILPF was recognised for its long track record in favour of peace, its fantastic work on promoting universal disarmament, peaceful resolution of conflicts, human rights, and the achievement of economic, political and social justice from a gender perspective, which is similarly, a priority action line for the Government of Navarra.
The award is presented every year at the city of Tudela, which has a history of demonstrating a commitment to the values of peace, respect and coexistence.
WILPF International President, Joy Onyesoh, received the prize presented by the President of the Government of Navarra, Uxue Barkos.
In her acceptance speech, Onyesoh spoke about WILPF, saying “we have, in no small way, connected the dots, taking an integrated approach from local realities to current global realities. And this is what we have been doing for 103 years.”
She continued on, elaborating that, “We do not take it lightly, we do not take it for granted in anyway. We do appreciate each day as we see women suffering, not just in Africa but across the world, we are reminded of the responsibility we have as one of the oldest peace organisations.”
Her message was deeply impactful as Onyesoh appealed to everyone “to deeply reflect on the responsibility we have in Spain, outside Spain and across the globe,” quoting the WILPF 2015 Manifesto and stating that, “Peace is a conscious and intentional effort.”
