Int'l peace award of US$ 50,000 on Buddha's name

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, May 25

The Government of Nepal is officially publicising the establishment of the Gautam Buddha International Peace Award (GBIPA) worth US$ 50,000 on the occasion of 2554^th Buddha anniversary on May 27. Buddha was born at Tilaurakot, Kapilvastu district in Lumbini Zone in Nepal.

According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture (MoFACAPAC), the award will be given to national and international personalities and organisations working for peace and human rights. An individual or organisation will be rewarded with US$ 50,000 in each five years.

“The decision to provide the GBIPA to the peace makers will be officially publicised on the occasion of the Buddha Jayanti function in Lumbini on May 27,” said Rishi Kesh Niroula, under-secretary at the MoFACAPAC. “The winner will be declared on the Buddha Jayanti in 2011 first time and the award will be given on that day,” he added.

The government decided to establish the GBIPA in November 11, 2002. However, it could not be materialised due to the extreme political situation in the country.

“Now, everything is prepared accordingly and it is on the final stage to recognise officially,” said Niroula. “The Peace Award Management and Coordination Committee, headed by Kul Chandra Gautam, former assistant UN General Secretary has been recently formed,” he told this daily.

The committee comprises of four members-- former chief secretary Dr Bimal Koirala, renowned artist Urmila Garga, singer Aani Choying Drolma, and Acharya Karma Sangbo Sherpa, vice-chairman of the Lumbini Development Trust. The secretariat of the committee will be stationed at the MoFACAPAC.

The committee will formulate criteria and determine procedures soon, said Niroula. “It will select the nominees within a year and recommend best three candidates to the government,” he said. “Finally, the government will select the winner of the GBIPA,” he added.

The LDT in coordination with the Ministry, the Kapilvastu District Development Committee, Kapilvastu Municipality, the Dharmodaya Sabha and other organisations will organise Buddha Jayanti in Lumbini this year. The Ministry has disbursed Rs 2 million for the celebration.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Culture Minister Dr Minendra Rijal among other ministers are scheduled to visit Lumbini on the occasion. Meanwhile, along with different programmes, an art exhibition ‘Light of Asia’ by Vietnamese artist Phu Nguyen will be on display in Lumbini,” said Prakash Darnal, officer at the MoFACAPAC. “It will be a historic celebration in terms of declaring a big award,” he added.