WelCom November 2021
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, a precondition for democracy and lasting peace. The Nobel committee announced last month Ms Ressa and Mr Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia. At the same time, they are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.
In honouring Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Russia’s Dmitry Muratov, the Norwegian committee offered a ringing endorsement of the promotion of truth over spin, lies and threats. Ressa, chief executive and co-founder of news website Rappler, has shown unflinching courage covering the regime of President Rodrigo Duterte, whose war on drugs has left 20,000 people dead. Muratov is the founder and editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazette, described by the Nobel committee as ‘the most independent newspaper in Russia today, with a fundamentally critical attitude toward power’.
Berit Reiss Andersen, the Norwegian lawyer who chairs the Nobel committee, commended their ‘courageous fight for freedom of expression, a precondition for democracy and lasting peace’.
‘Free, independent and fact-based journalism,’ he said, ‘serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda.’
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