IN ACCEPTING THE NANSEN MEDAL, H.R.H CROWN PRINCESS SONJA SAID 'THE PEOPLE OF NORWAY HAVE ALWAYS SHOWN CONCERN FOR THE WORLD'S REFUGEES, AND THIS CONCERN HAS NATURALLY BEEN SHARED BY ME AND MY FAMILY' .CROWN PRINCESS SONJA PAID SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR THEIR SUSTAINED AND DEVOTED SERVICES TO THE CAUSE OF REFUGEES' .BUT THE QUESTION STILL REMAINED, SHE SAID, OF HOW NEW EXODUSES OF REFUGEES COULD BE AVOIDED. WHAT CAN EACH AND ALL OF US DO TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN FOR ALL PEOPLES ? WHAT CAN WE DO TO AVOID THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS OCCURRING EVERY DAY IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD?' SHE ASKED. THE CROWN PRINCESS EXPRESSED THE FEAR THAT BEHIND STATISTICS OF REFUGEE NUMBERS THE REFUGEES THEMSELVES MIGHT BE FORGOTTEN. REFUGEES ARE NOT DIFFERENT. FROM US. THEY ARE PEOPLE.THEIR NEEDS ARE THE SAME AS OURS . .THEIR FEELINGS. .,THEIR PAIN, THEIR SORROW. .THEIR HOPE FOR A SAFE FUTURE FOR THEIR CHILDREN IS NO LESS THAN OURS." REFLECTING ON HER OWN EXPERIENCE OF REFUGEES IN THAILAND THE CROWN PRINCESS SAID: 'THE THOUGHT THAT HELPED ME THEN, AND THAT HAS STAYED IN MY MIND IS THIS 'NOBODY CAN HELP EVERYONE, BUT EVERYONE CAN HELP SOMEBODY .
A PRIZE OF USDLRS 50,000 IS ATTACHED TO THE NANSEN MEDAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH A DECISION TAKEN BY THE NANSEN COMMITTEE IN 1979.THE FUNDS FOR THE PRIZE THIS YEAR WERE DONATED BY THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT.H.R.H.CROWN PRINCESS SONJA ANNOUNCED THAT THE PRIZE MONEY WOULD BE USED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOLS FOR REFUGEES AT THE KATUMBA SETTLEMENT IN TANZANIA THE NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL, WHICH HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR REFUGEES FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS,HAS DECIDED TO SUPPORT THE SAME PROJECT WITH A SIMILAR AMOUNT. (UNHCRGENEVA)
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