The 2023 Tipperary International Peace Award is to be awarded to Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The presentation event will be held at 11am in Ballykisteen Great National Hotel in Tipperary town on Saturday September 21st.
The organisation has been in existence for over 50 years and has almost 70,000 staff worldwide.
MSF grew out of the ideals of a group of French doctors who wanted to be on the ground helping those most in need anywhere in the world.
Many decades later their work is of vital importance on a global level, whether responding to emergencies or providing medical support to vulnerable local communities.
The 2023 Tipperary International Peace Award recognises the humanitarian work of MSF and the response of its teams to crises, both of war and of natural disasters.
From its evolution of being an organisation with little or no resources, to becoming globally recognised for its humanitarian work, MSF is a worthy recipient of the Tipperary International Peace Award.
The Award, while recognising the work of MSF for 53 years, also remembers those who were caught up in war torn situations and paid the ultimate price for their humanitarian efforts.
Making the announcement the Hon. Secretary of Tipperary Peace Convention, Martin Quinn, says that the awarding of the Peace Prize to Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a statement of support for an organisation that has brought medical care to the victims of earthquakes, nutritional crises, epidemics, conflicts and other disasters.
Responding to news of the selection, Chris Lockyear, Secretary General, MSF, gave the following response; “We are sincerely grateful to be recognised by Tipperary Peace Convention for our medical work and provision of humanitarian assistance to people affected by war, displacement, exclusion from healthcare and epidemics.
Real change for many of the communities that we assist, needs to come from states and world leaders who have the power to lessen human suffering through decisive political action in service of the world’s marginalised and vulnerable communities”.
Past recipients of the award include former South African President the late Nelson Mandela, former Presidents of Ireland, Professor Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson, Pakistani student Malala Yousafzai, the Syrian Civil Defence White Helmets and last year’s recipient, Belarusian politician, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
The presentation ceremony on Saturday September 21st, falls most appropriately on the United Nations International Day of Peace. A “Peace Path” has now been created in the Tipperary Hills, a public park in Tipperary town, incorporating signage displaying the names of all the winners of the Tipperary International Peace Award since it’s inception in 1984.
