In the aftermath of the IAEA’s Nobel Peace Prize, hopes run high. The prestigious prize strengthened the IAEA’s hand as a trusted international authority in the public eye - and raised expectations for carrying the public trust.
» Read the IAEA Bulletin’s Nobel Coverage
IAEA staff celebrated winning the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, at a reception held in their honour on 24 January 2006, at the Agency’s Vienna headquarters in Austria.
The reception followed the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony held 10 December 2005, at the Oslo City Hall in Norway.
Gladys Knight was among the legendary artists to sing the praise of laureate Mohamed ElBaradei and the IAEA - the Agency that he leads - at a concert of superstars that shined and rocked into the dark, December, Norwegian night.
The R&B singer soon had the audience moving, as some 6000 people clapped and sang along with her. “I am proud to be part of something that is definitely so moving and uplifting,” Knight said. “This is a wonderful accomplishment” by “an extraordinary man.”
Hollywood stars Salma Hayek and Julianne Moore were joint masters of ceremony for the Peace concert that featured some of the world’s finest in pop, rock, Latino, reggae and classical music.
Colombian rock star Juanes said Dr. ElBaradei was ” trying to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. That gives hope for the whole world”.
While Irish singer Damien Rice recounted a conversation he had with Dr. ElBaradei’s sister the night before. “I asked her what the meaning of ElBaradei was,” the singer said. He was told it was the cloth that people used to cover their faces in the desert. “That’s fitting,” Rice told the audience. “ElBaradei is protecting us.”
An emotional Dr. ElBaradei then appeared on stage flanked by screen stars Hayek and Moore, while images of his wife, son and daughter were beamed onto two huge screens. He joked with his Scandinavian audience that, with the attention from the Nobel Prize, people would now know the difference between IKEA and the IAEA. But it was his impassioned call for peace, an end to poverty and a world free of nuclear weapons that moved the crowd to a standing ovation.
The only hiccup of the night was when Duran Duran’s lead singer dropped his microphone in mid-song. But the crowd was forgiving, inspired by messages of peace. The concert closed with all the performers’ singing a John Lennon favourite that left audience with the words “Give Peace A Chance” ringing in their minds.
Photographer Jorn Moen stands in front of an exhibition of his work at the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo. His photos are part of an exhibition on the IAEA and its chief designed to “get people thinking” about nuclear issues, says Nobel Committee chair Ole Danbolt Mjøs. Moen’s photographs capture the normally private Director General on the job and at home. It depicts his character well, says daughter Laila. They show a “sensitive man”, who deeply cares for his family and the state of the world, she says. The exhibition displays the many and varied facets of IAEA life in photographs, text and cartoons: from the anti-nuclear protests sometimes staged outside the Agency’s Vienna headquarters, to the work of its safeguards inspectors, its role in nuclear safety and promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. It is the Nobel Peace Centre’s first major exhibition on a laureate since the museum opened earlier in the year. The exhibition will also be shown in Stockholm and Vienna in 2006.
Three twelve-year old peace negotiators rid the world of revenge, greed and nuclear weapons in a performance that had the audience laughing, as Oslo´s school children put their stamp on Peace Prize festivities. Children at Jeriko School twisted a classic Norwegian fairytale to send trolls to gobble up the nasties, and rid the world of nuclear weapons. "The Agency could certainly do with a few trolls of its own," IAEA head Dr. ElBaradei lamented to the young audience. The concept of peace is taught early to Norwegian children, as knee-high children to teenagers took to the stage to express through drama, song and dance what peace meant to them.
The Nobel Committee hosted a banquet in honour of the Peace Laureates Dr. ElBaradei and the IAEA. The banquet was held at the Grand Hotel in the evening of the Award Ceremony.
IAEA Spokesperson Melissa Fleming shares her impression of the event:
" In black tie and long dress, guests circulated in a setting of subdued elegance in the ball room of Grand Hotel - nothing flashy but the atmosphere was charged. Even Hollywood actresses Salma Hayek and Julianne Moore blended in with the crowd. Salma soon started hugging members of Dr. ElBaradei´s family one by one, wondering out loud if his mother could help her find a husband! The chatter was all about his brilliant speech, with some veterans even citing it as the best ever made in the chambers of Oslo City Hall.
The tables were arranged, clustered closely around the head table, filling circles with Norwegian influence, ElBaradei kin, IAEA staff and some people of fame. Once the wine turned red, and the third or fourth toast was spoken (which echoed through the room as voices wise and acclaimed) the volume rose to a robust pitch, as if the emotions of the day were suddenly set free. In his toast, speaker of the parliament Torbjojn Jagaland said, "You can´t do away with this knowledge, but with the weapons made out of this knowledge… You are not representing any political interests… You don´t recommend pre-emptive strikes, you recommend preventive actions."
Most shunned the Aquvit but indulged in the rich chocolate dessert crowned with a white sugar peace dove. As mine melted on my tongue, I felt deep admiration for this little country that looms so large in its crusade for peace."
With torchlights in hand, families pay tribute to the Agency. The torchlight procession is held every year to honour the Noble Peace Prize winner. Anne-Katrine Borander has come with her two daughters to show their support for a nuclear-weapon-free world. Three decades ago, Anne-Katrine went with her mother to protest the spread of nuclear weapons. Today, she does the same with her own daughters.
Along with their torchlights, the procession carries banners that say "No to Nuclear Weapons". They gather outside the laureates’ hotel. Cheers erupt as the laureates step on to the balcony, then wave to the crowd below.
There were more than a few tears of joy and beaming smiles from IAEA staff and family members at today´s award ceremony.
"What does it feel like to win the peace prize?", a girl from Oslo asks the Director General. "It’s a delightful feeling. If you do the right thing sooner or later you will be recognized," he replies. The Norwegian school children bring their own messages of peace. "Smile and be happy to others," is one of their messages.
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei and Ambassador Yukiya Amano, on behalf of the IAEA, each received a diploma and gold medal as part of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Award. The award ceremony was held at the Oslo City Hall. Dr. ElBaradei delivered a peace lecture immediately afterwards.
» IAEA Director General Lecture
The IAEA and its Director General will be honoured with the ultimate peace prize today, at a the Nobel Prize ceremony at the Oslo City Hall, Norway. Dr ElBaradei will give a lecture during the ceremony starting at 1pm GMT today. His speech will be posted on IAEA.org after it is delivered. He shares the prize with the IAEA, for their work in trying to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. The prestigious award is handed out every year on December 10, the anniversary of death of Alfred Nobel in 1896. The first awards ceremony took place in 1901.
2005 Peace Laureate Mohamed Elbaradei has a morning coffee with CNN anchor Jonathan Mann, ahead of an hour-long live broadcast that airs at 5 pm CET today.
It was a day of signatures and headlines for the 2005 Peace Laureates. Following an afternoon press conference, they made their mark in history, with an inscription in the Nobel Peace book, which records the words of past Nobel winners like Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela.
Dr. ElBaradei´s inscription reads: "It is an honor for me to be here today at the Nobel Institute. My great admiration and deep respect for your work. We need to change our mindset, we need to understand the common values we share, we need to understand that war and force will not resolve our differences or move us forward towards peace. Only through dialogue and mutual respect, can we move forward as one human family."
With the Peace Prize ceremony only days away, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Ole Danbolt Mjøs, gives an insider´s glimpse at the 2005 peace prize.
CNN has released the list of the Prize for Peace: Nobel 2005 replay times. The program will air live at 5 p.m. CET on Saturday. The taped replays (and the regions to which they’re being sent) are listed below:
(ALL TIMES CET)
On the eve of the IAEA’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo this weekend, Germany´s Der Spiegel profiles Director General Mohamed ElBaradei. He’s described as a man who has been acclaimed, spied on and reviled as no laureate before him. The writer asks: "Has the Egyptian ElBaradei, working on behalf of the United Nations, successfully prevented the proliferation of nuclear weapons? Or has he in fact failed?"
Excitement builds as people wait expectantly for the arrival of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Winners.
Peace prize winner, Dr. ElBaradei with his wife Aida arrive in Oslo, Norway.
2005 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. ElBaradei.
Ambassador Amano is representing the IAEA for its share of the 2005 peace prize.
The Nobel Peace Prize celebrations are about to start in Oslo, Norway with a hectic three-day line-up for the IAEA and its Director General, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, who jointly won this year´s prize. On 10 December, the Agency and Dr. ElBaradei will be honoured with the Peace Prize from the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in the presence of the King of Norway.
Content Presentation: Rodolfo Quevenco
Reporting/Editing: Kirstie Hansen
Photography: Dean Calma
Design/Graphics: Mikael Revantar
Production: Lydia Baben, Horace Agbogbe, Kresimir Nikolic
Audio/Interviews: Stela Susic, Robins Chennithala
Editorial Direction: Lothar Wedekind
The IAEA Nobelog is a close-up look at the December 2005 Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in Oslo, Norway, that honoured the Agency and its Director General. It was reported and produced by the IAEA Division of Public Information as part of its multimedia Nobel coverage.
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