Krishnammal and Sankarlingam Jaggantahan Awarded 2008 Right Livelihood Award 2008
2008 Right Livelihood Awards honour champions of independent journalism, peace-building and social justice.

From stioockhol, Sweden came the good news, that  Krishnammal Jagannathan and Sankaralingam Jagannathan are two lifelong activists for social justice, and for sustainable human development, working with those who are at the lowest rung of the social ladder were awarded the 2008 Right Livelihood Award,

   They have carried the Gandhian legacy into the 21st century, never ceasing to serve the needs of Dalits, landless and those threatened by the greed of
landlords and multinational corporations.

   The Award known as The Alternate NOBEL PRIZE was worth 2 million kronor ($300,000) and was to be shared equally between the four award winners. (A total of 91 candidates from 44 countries were nominated.)
The award was gven 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'."  CONGRATS

Quotation
"Vinoba Bhave, by whom my husband and I were inspired said 'Jai Jegath' (Long Live the World) and he was convinced this is possible by awakening of 'Sthree-shakthi' (women-power). I sincerely believe that the social, economic and spiritual crisis we are facing today in the world can be overcome through universal sisterhood and science and spirituality coming together for the good of the entire humanity!"
Krishnammal Jagannathan
( From Right Livelihood Award Official website    http://www.rightlivelihood.org/1286.html  )

Due to old age, Sankaralingam Jagannathan who is 95, was not able to travel to Stockholm, jury member Marianne Andersson said. Other winners of the award are from Germany, Somalia and the United States. and Four of the five prize winners were women.

German gynaecologist Monika Hauser, founder of Medica Mondiale was awarded for "her tireless commitment to working with women who have experienced the most horrific sexualized violence in some of the most dangerous countries in the world," jury member Marianne Andersson said. Hauser and her organization have worked with women and girls in war and post-war conflict zones ranging from Afghanistan to Congo.

Amy Goodman of the US, who founded the daily grassroots global TV/radio news hour Democracy Now! was honoured 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 of Somalia was lauded "for continuing to lead at great personal risk the female participation in the peace and reconciliation process in her war-ravaged country." Hagi along with other women founded in 2000 the so-called Sixth Clan, the clan of women, giving women a voice in the peace process in Somalia.

Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull created the prize in 1980 "to honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today."

The awards are to be presented at a ceremony in the Swedish parliament on Dec 8.

Last year, the prize was awarded to legal scholar Christopher Weeramantry from Sri Lanka, Dekkha Ibrahim Abdi of Kenya for bridging ethnic and cultural divides, Percy and Louise Schmeiser of Canada for work against genetic engineering of crops, and angladesh's Grameen Shakti organization was cited for its work to promote solar energy for the rural poor.