Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony

Briefing notes

Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

28 September 2012

UNHCR and its partner the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) are organizing the Nansen Refugee Award ceremony on Monday evening (October 01). This year's award winner is Somalia's Hawa Aden Mohamed, founder and director of the Galkayo Education Centre for Peace and Development (GEPCD). She is being honoured for transforming the lives of thousands of displaced women and girls in Somalia, many of whom are victims of rape.

The ceremony will be held at the Batiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva on Monday at 20.15, thanks to the support of the Geneva, Swiss and Norwegian authorities and the IKEA Foundation. Press are invited to attend this ceremony.

UNIGE and UNHCR panel discussion

Also on Monday, University of Geneva (UNIGE) and UNHCR will be organizing a conference in honour of the Nansen laureate at 12. 15 p.m. (Uni Mail, Salle MR380). The event includes a lecture by Bruno Geddo (UNHCR Somalia Representative) on Hawa Aden Mohamed's experiences followed by a panel discussion with 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee, UNHCR Honorary Lifetime Goodwill Ambassador Barbara Hendricks, and Elisabeth Rasmusson, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. The debate will be chaired by Paola Gaeta (professor at UNIGE).

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