University of Oslo’s Human Rights Award

University of Oslo's Human Rights Award is an award which is awarded by the University of Oslo to individuals who have made important contributions in different fields. The Award was launched in 1986 and since then, it is awarded every year to notable people from different walks of life. Those years when the award was not distributed are 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004.

Recipients

Early lifeEdit

Demaçi studied literature, law, and education in Belgrade, Pristina, and Skopje respectively. In the 1950s, he published a number of short stories with pointed social commentary in the magazine Jeta e re (English: New Life), as well as a 1958 novel titled Gjarpijt e gjakut(English: The Snakes of Blood) exploring blood vendettas in Kosovo and Albania. The latter work brought him literary fame.[2]

Demaçi was first arrested for his opposition to the authoritarian government of Josip Broz Tito in 1958, serving three years in prison. He was again imprisoned 1964-1974 and 1975-1990. He was released from prison by new president of Serbia Slobodan Milošević.[2]

In 2010 he recived the order Hero of Kosovo.[3]

Political careerEdit

After his release, he was Chairman of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms of the People of Kosovo from 1991 to 1995. He also served as editor-in-chief ofZëri, a magazine based in Pristina, from 1991 to 1993.[2][4] In 1991, he was awarded theEuropean Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.[2]

In 1996, Demaçi moved into politics, replacingBajram Kosumi as the president of theParliamentary Party of Kosovo;[2] Kosumi became his vice-president. During this time, he proposed a confederation of states consisting of Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia that would be known as "Balkania". His prison record gave him credibility among Kosovars, but his tenure in party leadership was marked by factionalism and a lack of action.[4]

References

  1. "Art of Change Fellow Deeyah Khan is Awarded the University of Oslo’s Human Rights Award". artofchange.is. 21 September 2012. Retrieved December 2015.
  2. "UiOs menneskerettighetspris for 2013 til Manfred Nowak". www.uio.no. 8 August 2013. Retrieved December 2015.
  3. "UiOs menneskerettighetspris for 2012 til Robert Quinn". www.uio.no. 18 October 2012. Retrieved December 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, February 20, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.