A surprise call
The news that Campaign Against Arms Trade has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize is still sinking in.
We couldn’t quite believe it when we got a surprise Zoom call from The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) to let us know that we’ve been nominated alongside our partner Mwatana for Human Rights, a grassroots organisation working in Yemen.
The AFSC and British Friends Service Council accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Quakers worldwide in 1947, in recognition of 300 years of Quaker efforts to heal rifts and oppose war. This means they have the right to nominate others for the Prize and it’s a role they take very seriously with an annual deliberation process to decide who to nominate.
What this means for our campaigning
The nomination from AFSC and Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) aims to draw attention to CAAT’s work to stop the UK government’s sales of arms to Saudi Arabia, particularly our ongoing court case to challenge the UK government’s decision to resume arms sales to the Saudi regime for us in the war in Yemen.
This is also an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the suffering of the Yemeni people who are experiencing the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. Millions are facing starvation as a direct result of the actions of the Saudi-led coalition. This is all made possible by weapons supplied by the UK and sustained by its ongoing military support.
Inspirational Yemeni groups like Mwatana have shown remarkable dedication in documenting human rights violations by all parties to the war and raising the voices of victims in exceptionally dangerous circumstances. As Radhya Almutawakel, chairperson of Mwatana, says: “This nomination is a source of strength for Mwatana as we continue our work towards a Yemen where there is credible and holistic accountability and redress for the civilians who have suffered the horrors of this war.”
Oliver Robertson, the Head of Quaker Peace and Social Witness, also told us: “We hope this nomination will not only highlight the excellent work for peace by Mwatana and Campaign Against Arms Trade but encourage others to shut off the flow of armaments and instead work hard to build a sustainable peace in Yemen.”
To find out more about what this means for our campaigning, and for answers to other questions about the nomination, check out our FAQ here.
An honour
We are truly honoured that our campaigning is being acknowledged in this way.
This nomination is a tribute to all of us. If you have ever signed a petition, come to a protest, shared on social media, written to your MP, made a donation, or taken any other action against the arms trade, you have helped to make this happen.
Join the anti-arms trade movement
This achievement goes to show the impact we can have when we come together to take on the power and influence of the arms trade.
Will you join us today? If you haven’t already, please sign up for email updates from CAAT and we’ll send you all the latest anti-arms trade news and campaign actions.
