The author and filmmaker Helena Norberg-Hodge has received the 2012 Goi Peace Award for her contribution to “strengthening local communities and economies worldwide”
The Swedish-born founder of the International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC) is particularly known for her groundbreaking work in the Himalayan region of Ladakh, where she helped local people find ways of enabling their culture to meet the modern world without sacrificing social and ecological values.
She published her insights into Ladakh culture through a book and film, both titled Ancient Futures, and she is also the producer of the award-winning documentary, The Economics of Happiness.
Norberg-Hodge received the award at a ceremony in Tokyo on 25 November 2012 and is its first female recipient. Established in 2000 and administered by the Goi Peace Foundation, previous recipients include James Lovelock, Deepak Chopra, Bill Gates and Ervin Laszlo.
“I’m really glad to receive this award, which will give visibility to the worldwide localisation movement,” Norberg-Hodge told Positive News. “Government efforts to increase global growth are increasing both unemployment and CO2 emissions. Localising economies, on the other hand, will increase job opportunities while simultaneously reducing pollution.”
