The Youth Against Settlements group has won the Right Livelihood Award for “steadfast non-violent resistance” against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
Issa Amro, a Palestinian activist in the occupied West Bank, on Thursday received the Right Livelihood Award for his organization’s work.
The Youth Against Settlements (YAS) group was awarded the prize for its “steadfast non-violent resistance to Israel’s illegal occupation, promoting Palestinian civic action through peaceful means.”
Founded by Amro, YAS campaigns against the proliferation of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which the international community widely considers illegal.
‘It’s a miracle that I still exist’
Amro was born in Hebron, where some 1,000 Jewish settlers live under Israeli military protection amid 200,000 Palestinians.
The Sweden-based Right Livelihood Foundation said the 44-year-old activist was detained several times and tortured by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which partly controls the West Bank.
“It’s a miracle that I still exist,” said Amro.
Around 475,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, which the UN deems illegal under international law.
Settlements built without the approval of the Israeli government also sometimes end up being legalized after construction by the Israeli government.
Israel’s allies, including the United States and Germany, have condemned settlements in the West Bank, which they say hinder the peace process and the possibility of achieving a two-state solution that would ensure the security of Palestinians and Israelis.
What is the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize?’
The annual Right Livelihood Award was established in 1980 by Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull to honor efforts that he felt were being ignored by the Nobel prizes.
Since then, the award, often dubbed the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” has been awarded to 198 laureates from 77 countries.
Besides Amro, Indigenous activist Joan Carling from the Philippines, Mozambique’s environmental activist Anabela Lemos and UK research agency Forensic Architecture also received the 2024 honor.
This year’s winners “have each made a profound impact on their communities and the global stage,” the Right Livelihood Foundation said.
