Syrian Civil Defence volunteers, known as the ‘White Helmets’, are to receive the 2016 Tipperary International Peace Award. The announcement was made today by the Tipperary Peace Convention.
The 2016 winners will formally receive their award on September 6th, 2017, at a ceremony in Tipperary; a further testament to their enormous bravery and hourly displayed courage.
With more than 50 rusty barrel bombs; same filled with nails and explosives, and as in the past sometimes filled with chlorine, landing daily on bakeries and markets in Syria (latter rolled out of the back of government helicopters), together with mortar fire; the ‘White Helmets’ stated mission remains to save the greatest number of lives in the shortest possible time. Their daily activities include search and rescue; the reconnection of electricity and water services; medical and civilian evacuation, and the securing of all ruined buildings.
The ‘White Helmets’ have saved well over 95,000 people, while, regrettably, 192 of their unarmed and volunteer membership to date have been killed. Responding to news of the selection, a spokesperson for the group said: “We are very happy to receive this peace prize because it means that there are still people around the world who support our mission to protect lives, and that the voices for peace are much stronger than the voices for war.”
The Tipperary Peace Convention was first set up in 1983 in an effort to promote peace and reconciliation. The first Peace Award was made in 1984; going to the late Seán MacBride; himself a founding member of Amnesty International.
Previous Winners of the Tipperary International Peace Prize include:-
Some of the previous winners of the Tipperary International Peace Award have included; ‘Live Aid’ organiser Sir Bob Geldof (1985); Mikhail Gorbachev (1988); South African president Nelson Mandela (1989); U.S. President Bill Clinton (2000); former President Mrs Mary McAleese and her husband Martin; late Senator Ted Kennedy and his sister Jean Kennedy Smith; US diplomat Dr Richard Nathan Haass; US Secretary of State and Democratic Party politician Mr John Kerry; United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Nobel Laureate & Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai (2012), to name but a few.
Is this a joke or spoof website !!! Love Ireland and the Irish having spent many great holidays there, North and South but for the life of me cannot understand how in the light of revelations over the last year of how the White Helmets are nothing more than than a propaganda arm of the IS terrorist they can possibly win a Peace award. Has anybody on the panel or responsible for this award actually done any research or investigating as to the background and operations of the White Helmets ? It makes a complete mockery of the award and hopefully the Irish will be highlighting this effrontery to a so called ‘peace award’ and be protesting in droves.
Is this some kind of a joke???? Giving a Peace Prize to Al Qaeda!!!
You have got to be kidding.
I was going to express outrage until I took a peek at your alumni. Kennedy, Clinton, Kerry and Haas, huh? Towering intellects and dedicated humanitarians every one. The phony-ass White Helmets with red Syrian blood on their hands will be in good company, then.
Educate yourselves. Cancel this award before you are made to look foolish – https://sciscomedia.co.uk/al-qaeda-win-the-oscar-for-best-documentary-short/
What a load of nonsense. It is a given fact that the White Helmets are/were ISIS by another name. An ISIS propaganda ploy used willingly by the US and its subservient western media in a vain attempt to justify the overthrow of the Syrian government. During the Syrian army’s campaign to liberate East Aleppo the western media and western governments heaped condemnation on a daily basis on the Assad government. However, they all looked the other way when the people of East Aleppo joyously greeted their liberators after the defeat of the bloodthirsty US proxy army ISIS.
Terrorists given a peace award! Amazing!
This is astounding! The White Helmets have been thoroughly exposed as a fake propaganda organisation whose sole purpose is to promote al-Nusra (al-Qaeda) and other extremist groups, and to discredit the Assad government and their allies. It is possible that you mean well and are misinformed, but it is still hard to believe that literally no research was done by those involved in the Tipperary Peace Convention. I post a link to some of their exposed propaganda, but even two minutes spent on Google could find a dozen more, which makes this dreadful mistake all the more baffling
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgl271A6LgQ
Has anybody on the Committee researched this Group ?
Big fail for Tipperary
This is f***ing outrageous. The White Helmets, according to legendary journalists Seymour Hersch (Watergate) and John Pilger, are nothing more than terrorist-led propaganda constructs. You need to abandon / cancel this event right now as people will literally descend on Tipperary in their thousands to expose this phoney group of rabid extremist head-choppers, corrupted by US funds to try and overthrow a legitimate head of state.
The white helmets are associated with terrorists (Al Q/Nusra/HTS), are witnesses to war crimes (beheading a child), pose with terrorists, post fake videos and stage ‘atrocities’.
I think the Awards Committee should take a trip to Al Queda held Idlib, where the White Helmets are holed up now, to present the prize in person. No need for head gear.
Which particular members of the Tipperary Peace Convention deemed it applicable to award a terrorist organisation a peace prize? Have these particular members been living under a stone for the last 18 months? Are they not aware that the White Helmets operate only in terrorist held areas, save only terrorists and have been accused by those liberated from East Aleppo of torture. You must also remember that the faux White Helmets stole the ambulances of the real Syria Civil Defence force and trashed them. They are evil with Hollywood backing – don’t let the Tipperary Peace Council be doomed to the same fate history will decree on others who’ve fallen for this regime change ruse.