Award Winners from Australia, Bulgaria and South Africa

The Threshold Foundation has announced the winners of the fourth international Bremen Peace Award: the Australian Susan Jennifer Gilbey wins in the category "Unknown Peace Worker" for her tireless efforts advocating for the rights and concerns of asylum seekers. Susan Gilbey has helped numerous refugees of war and political refugees to lead a more secure and peaceful life. After a serious accident, which caused her to suffer disability and from severe chronic pain, Susan Gilbey took on a new life-task: she became a determined and successful advocate – without being a lawyer by profession – for the rights of asylum seekers threatened by deportation under the restrictive Australian immigration laws.

The Bulgarian organizations animus and PULSE Foundation are awarded in the category of "Exemplary Organisations" due to their commitment in supporting women who became victims of trafficking and forced prostitution in Western European countries. After returning back to Bulgaria, many of them are discriminated against and become victims of domestic violence. Both organizations provide shelter as well as necessary medical and psychosocial support. The workers of animus and PULSE are courageously, unpretentiously fighting for the rights of these victims and are persistently working towards a change in Bulgarian society, which is still strongly dominated by patriarchal relations and perceptions.

The Anglican bishop Rubin Phillip from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is awarded with the Bremen Peace Prize in the Category Public Engagement towards justice and peace. In the 1970s, Phillip was put under house arrest for three years because of his protest and work against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Nowadays, he supports those who are still marginalized and are not benefitting from democracy in South Africa: displaced persons, victims of persecution, detainees. Phillip visits them in prisons and hospitals and offers legal support. In April 2008, when a wave of xenophobic violence unleashed in South Africa, Phillip campaigned for the protection of refugees, which came mainly from Zimbabwe. Due to his strong efforts, these refugees received shelter and support from South African churches. Together with another peace activist, Phillip successfully prevented the shipment and delivery of weapons to Zimbabwe. Furthermore, education on HIV/AIDS is also of primary concern to Rubin Phillip.

The international Bremen Peace Prize is endowed with 15,000 euro and is awarded by the Threshold Foundation every two years since 2003. It is divided into three categories: Unknown Peace Worker, Exemplary Organisation and Public Engagement.

On the occasion of the Bremen Peace Award, the Threshold Foundation has also published a brochure depicting outstanding and encouraging peace projects. Besides the prize winners, 24 other shortlisted projects and persons are portrayed and brought to public attention. The brochure can be ordered free at the Threshold Foundation.