Narges Mohammadi has been working for peace and freedom. Even from her prison cell in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, 2023’s Nobel Peace Prize winner continues to take a stand. Ms. Mohammadi was arrested in November of 2021 for “spreading propaganda”, sentenced to two and a half years, eighty lashes and financial fines. It was her 13th arrest by Iran’s totalitarian regime. The press release for her award is here.

Ms. Mohammadi is the fifth Nobel Peace Prize Laureate to be in jail at the time of the presentation of their prize. Ales Bialiatski of Belarus, the 2022 Laureate, was in prison when his prize was awarded, serving time for “tax evasion”. In March of 2023, he was sentenced to an additional 10 years for “cash smuggling” and “financing actions and groups that grossly violated public order” according to Wikipedia.org.

Obviously, working for peace is a dangerous undertaking. In the last few weeks news reports are stating the at least 50 people were arrested in San Francisco at a protest in support of a ceasefire in Gaza a further 500 were arrested in a peaceful sit-in at the US Congress. A Russian artist, Alexandra Skochilenko was recently sentenced to seven years for “false information” when she swapped supermarket price tags for messages condemning the Ukrainian War. The organization Human Rights Watch has released its’ 2023 report, it’s rather stunning. Check it out here.

I must confess I wouldn’t be a very good peace activist. I don’t like big crowds but I have and would attend a peace rally…until things start to get boisterous. Then, I’m out of the there. So, I’ll help from here. Keep an eye on COP28, the Climate Change conference November 30 to December 12, 2023. Peace will be a theme, focusing on climate change and communities already in the midst of violent struggles. Check out the United Nations, which has always worked for peace. Here’s a great list from Impactful Ninja on some different organizations working for peace.

I wish for peace. I do not know how we change eons of greed, the desire for conquest, the need for domination that humans have exhibited. For all of us, maybe we can just be a little kinder to those around us. Maybe we can be less judgemental, less competitive, more giving, more considerate.

Peace to you all!