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Peace Direct sponsors award for campaigning

Peace Direct is among the first organisations to sponsor one of the Sheila Mckechnie Awards for campaigners. The Peace Direct award will be for campaigners in the field of conflict resolution. The Sheila McKechnie Foundation is launching the awards at a reception at 11 Downing St on February 22nd.

‘Part of Peace Direct’s mission is to bring conflict resolution within the mainstream of charitable activity and government policy’ explains Peace Direct Chief Executive Carolyn Hayman. ‘We’re thrilled that the Charity Commission has agreed that conflict resolution can feature as a legitimate area for an award.’ Examples of the kinds of successful campaign that would have been eligible for such an award include the Campaign Against the Arms Trade campaign to persuade the Church of England to divest of investments in weapons manufacturers, and the recent Corner House campaign against the watering down of anti-corruption measures required of UK exporters including arms manufacturers.

Editor's note


Peace Direct was launched in 2004 to support and promote grassroots peacemaking in conflict areas by:

· directly supporting groups in conflict areas, linking them with UK individuals and groups for solidarity, mutual learning and long term funding

· raising the profile of non-violent conflict resolution among the public – to show how peaceful solutions can work, do work and where they work

· making the case to government for the use of peacebuilding approaches in preference to the use of force, and lobbying against approaches which undermine local peacebuilding initiatives.

Peace Direct is a registered charity led by Carolyn Hayman OBE, formerly Chief Executive of the Foyer Federation, of which Sheila McKechnie was a founder. She is also a Trustee of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation. Dame Anita Roddick was the organisation’s Chair for its first year, and is now one of Peace Direct’s Patrons.

For further information contact Emily Buchanan on 02077707822 or email awards@sheilamckechnie.org.uk