Thursday, June 09, 2005

Philatelist turns philanthropist

Winners of what has become the alternative Nobels are sharing ideas this week at a seminar in Salzburg, Austria on how to improve the world. The gathering marks the 25th anniversary of the Right Livelihood Awards which was created by Swedish-German stamp collector Jakob von Uexkull.

In 1980 von Uexkull sold his rare stamp business for $1 million and offered the proceeds to the Nobel Foundation to establish an ecology award. When the Foundation turned him down, he set up the Right Livelihood Award, which became known as the alternative Nobel Prize.

The Right Livelihood Award Foundation has since attracted additional funding from private individuals, enabling it to donate annual prizes worth 2 million Swedish kronor (approx $270,000 USD):

Seminar participants have been honoured for projects such as promoting breast feeding, protecting trees and encouraging charitable behavior.

For more information on Right Livelihood Award Foundation, visit their website at http://www.rightlivelihood.org/index.htm.
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posted by Don Schilling at 8:59 AM