Svetlana
Alexeevna Gannushkina received the Homo Homini Award in 2006 for her continuing
dedication to the promotion of human rights, democracy and nonviolent solutions
to political conflicts. Her peace activism began during the Karabakh conflict
in 1988 when she helped to free hundreds of Armenian and Azerbaijani prisoners
of war. As the current
Chair of the Civic Assistance Committee for Refugees, and head of the Migration
and Law project for the non-governmental organization, Memorial, she has been
an outspoken advocate for the human rights of the civilian population in Chechnya,
and is a leader in the current fight for the right of non-governmental organizations
in Russia to work for civil rights and to speak out freely against injustices
in the current Russian system. Although her own life has been threatened many
times, Svetlana Gannushkina continues to advocate for the rights of others in
the Russian Federation. She was
nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize as part of the 1000 Women for the Nobel
Peace Prize project.
