Black Lives Matter movement has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel peace prize for the way its call for systemic change has spread around the world.
In his nomination papers, a Norwegian Member of Parliament, Petter Eide said the movement had forced countries outside the US to grapple with racism within their own societies
The Black Lives Matter movement was co-founded in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi in response to the acquittal in the US of the man who shot Trayvon Martin. It gained wider recognition in 2014 following protests over the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
The movement received an impetus in May after George Floyd died. A white policeman had knelt on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes ignoring Floyd’s pleas that he couldn’t breathe. The incident fuelled protests in the United States that spread across the world.
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Petter Eide, a socialist lawmaker who proposed BLM for the Peace Prize, told AFP;
This movement has become one of the strongest global movements for working with racial injustice. They have also been spread to many many countries, building up awareness on the importance of fighting racial injustice.
I find that one of the key challenges we have seen in America, but also in Europe and Asia, is the kind of increasing conflict based on inequality.
Black Lives Matter has become a very important worldwide movement to fight racial injustice.
They have had a tremendous achievement in raising global awareness and consciousness about racial injustice.
Tens of thousands of people, including MPs and ministers from all countries, former Nobel laureates and distinguished academics, can propose candidates for the various Nobel prizes. The deadline ends on Sunday.
Several other names have been mooted for the Peace Prize including controversial Wikileaks founder and whistleblower Julian Assange, former US president Donald Trump, media rights group RSF and a trio of Belarusian opposition leaders led by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
Read Also: US President, Donald Trump Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel prizes will be announced at the start of October. 2020’s prize went to World Food Programme, United Nations food agency.
