It's Time for the Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Prize: A Celebration of International Law
Prestigious Peace Prize Awarded to Renowned Legal Scholars in International Law Field - International Law Scholars Recognized with Remarque Peace Prize
Get ready, folks! The Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Prize, a prestigious accolade worth €25,000, will be handed out in the city of Osnabrück on Thursday. The lucky recipient this year? None other than British-French legal eagle, Philippe Sands.
Sands is a true renaissance man. He's a law professor at University College London and a visiting scholar at Harvard, not to mention a seasoned lawyer swinging cases before the International Court of Justice and other international courts.
Sands' Grandfather's Story
If you haven't read his riveting book "Return to Lemberg," you're missing out. In it, Sands shares the gripping tale of his grandfather who managed to escape Austria after their forced annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938. The story offers an illuminating exploration of the legal concepts of "genocide" and "crimes against humanity," so profound it earned the applause of the prize jury chairwoman, Susanne Menzel-Riedl, president of the University of Osnabrück.
Mayor Katharina Pötter (CDU) praised Sands for illuminating the stakes when international law is flouted. After all, as she rightly pointed out, international law acts as a moral compass in our globalized world.
Special Kudos for the "Trialog" Project
While this year's main prize is going to Sands, special recognition goes to the "Trialog" project by Jouanna Hassoun and Shai Hoffmann. Since October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terrorist militia attacked Israel, they've been visiting schools throughout Germany to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Being Jews of Israeli descent and Muslims of Palestinian descent, they offer a unique insider perspective on the emotional challenges posed by the conflict.
The Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Prize, named after the city's native author, has been awarded biennially since 1991. So, mark your calendars for the 17th award ceremony!
- Osnabrück
- Philippe Sands
- Award Ceremony
- Trialog Project
- University College London
- International Court of Justice
- Lemberg
Bonus Insights:
The Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Prize maintains a profound connection to the city of Osnabrück's peaceful history and the literary legacy of the prize's namesake. This annual event serves as a significant symbol of freedom of expression, cultural impact, and commitment to fostering dialogue and mutual understanding. The Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Center in Osnabrück collaborates with other institutions, aligning with the ideals of the prize andRemarque himself, further emphasizing the city's commitment to peace and cultural harmony.
In the spirit of Erich-Maria-Remarque's peaceful legacy, the awarded funds for this year's Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Prize could be used to spearhead community aid, specifically for the development of less favored regions, promoting education-and-self-development and personal-growth initiatives, leveraging technology to bridge knowledge gaps. The unique Trialog Project by Jouanna Hassoun and Shai Hoffmann, embodying diverse perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, epitomizes the potential of such community aid in addressing complex global issues and fostering peace.
