Julian Assange wins peace prize The Sydney Peace Foundation has awarded its gold medal for peace with justice to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. In the fourteen-year history of the Foundation, only three others have received the prize: the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, and Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, Assange …
Well, to be fair to Assange, he hasn't actually been convicted of anything by the UK or Swedish courts yet. But, he is an Aussie that came to Britain with a prior criminal record, so it's more like the Aussies getting one back. Unfortunately for Assange, I doubt his terms of bail here will allow him to scuttle off to Sydney.
In case you were wondering who this fellow is.
He is President of the Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist organization devoted to world peace and stuff. Stuart Rees is Director of the Sydney Peace Foundation. Daisaku Ikeda received his gold medal in 2009. Back in 1998, Stuart Rees received the Award of Highest Honour for Contributions to World Peace, conferred by Soka University which was founded by Daisaku Ikeda.
Stuart Rees is also a council member of the Toda Research Institute, an "independent body", founded by Daisaku Ikeda.
to report on Julian Assange without insisting on inserting his personal feelings with regard to Mr Assange into the article ? Mr Metz's view of Mr Assange is, by this time, well known to Reg readers, and allegations of «shameless self-promotion and empty hype» are entirely irrelevant to the Sydney Peace Foundation's decision to award Mr Assange its gold medal for peace with Justice. Perhaps Mr Metz's continual carping is motivated by a feeling that he himself is lagging in the «shameless self-promotion and empty hype» race ?...
Henri
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Can we award him the second in advance? I just don't think one award truly reflects the hard work he's put into promoting himself and revealing very little at the same time!
Seriously though, aside from the fail of cablegate etc. Wikileaks have done some good work on the humanitarian side of things. Problem is, I can see things massively backfiring. His leaks may well prompt Governments to try and crack down further on our rights on the net, leading to an infringement of our rights! Either that, or I'm as paranoid as he is!
If you want to downvote, take a ticket and join the queue!
I don't get this: "shameless self-promotion and empty hype". the man has an ego, that's for sure, but what person in the media spotlight does not? can you answer that?
Winston Churchill pioneered the idea of gassing the Kurds in 1921 = he is a hero.
Saddam Hussein copies Churchill's idea in the 80's = he is an insane murderer.
both conclusions invented by the press and media. don't the press and media organisations have far far far bigger ego's than Assange? don't they shamelessly self-promote themselves far far more? I suspect media organisations (and to some extent TheReg has to be included in this) are maybe a bit afraid that the concept of dribbling out news to the sheep will be overtaken by vast exposé's like this.
the man is confident, but shameless self-promotion (more than ANY news organisation !?!? where ? when ?), and hype (are you talking about the promise to release certain documents that he has not as yet ? or something else ? where is this hype ? isn't the hype about him MOSTLY in fact created BY news organisations !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?)
Assange has done NOTHING.
He didn't invent the concept of leaks
He didn't promote freedom of speech
He certainly doesn't stand up for human rights - much of what has been published by wikileaks has actually damaged human rights
He founded a website that happened to be the one that caught the public's attention. There are LOTS of other websites out there that do far more for human rights and free speech. Amnesty International for a start!
F'ing Aussies patting each other on the back in Self Promotion - who'd have heard of the Sydney Peace Foundation (or whatever it's called) if they had awarded this prize to some deserving soul who works hard for human rights.
It seems that most people commenting on this or any other Assange article are completely unable to separate their opinion of his work from their opinion of his personality. True, he's clearly a wanker. But he's also doing an awful lot for freedom of information and has risked the considerable wrath of the US gov to do so. This childish attitude of "I don't like him and therefore everything he does is worthless" is really getting on my tits.
Well firstly, there is no mention of the Assange or his prize on the Sydney Peace Foundation website which is a bit odd. Especially as my immediate view point was a case of getting in on the media attention to raise their profile. Since, ruffling the feathers of the US government and chucking a spanner or two in their diplomatic relations hardly makes me think of peace, let alone peace prize.
And as for Assange, while the merits of his action in terms of free speech and human rights are great, I’m not convinced that the hacker’s motives are not just egotistical since he seems to be revelling in his new found notoriety. Too little time has passed to start adorning him with prizes and medals.
Whatever you think of Assange he's in good company with Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, and Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda.
He deserves it for his personal bravery alone. Must be feel pretty exposed with the U.S.A. threatening you and your very own government forming the cheer leaders for the U.S.
<rant> I can't think of a single human life saved by Assange, but many have been placed in danger, or relationships between nations worsened as a result of his stirring...
He's at best a whistle blower, not a journalist, not a peace-monger and most certainly not deserving of the kudos he gets, it's so transparent that Wikileaks is a giant ego-trip for him, the stupid-ass photo of him on the website and the playboy lifestyle he enjoys should tell you that. He doesn't even discover any of it himself, he created a website to publish what other people have leaked... according to the stupid logic if I created a website www.howtomakeunlimitedenergy.com and then someone posted or provided the data the solution on it then I'd be the one who got all the accolades/money/fame.
Assange = world's greatest triumph of hype over substance. </rant>
Nelson Mandela went to prison for advocating armed struggle and since the collapse of apartheid in South Africa the violent death toll in that country has escalated radically. Similarly the Nobel peace prize has been given to some lovely people like Yassar Arafat, the head of a self proclaimed terrorist organisation responsible for the deaths of innocent athletes at the 1972 Olympics.
Assange is a self appointed security risk who cares for no one other than his own profile. He has more common with Pol Pot than Mandela or the Delai Lama. I hope he feels responsible for having blood on his hands.
Piece prize for being destructive and divisive.
The Nobel has also been given to a man responsible for war, torture and general human rights destruction, just because he happens to be slightly tanned.
To a imprisoned criminal promoting and organizing riots, just because he doesn't like some of the USA's ennemies.
To an attention-whore for clumsily surfing on a Californian wave of hype.
I'm sure I'm missing some
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