Assange Awarded Sydney Peace Prize.

It seems the Sydney Peace Prize is more significant these days than the Noble Peace Prize. Whereas the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to a President who does little other than break promises and further war in the name of 'peace', the Sydney Peace Prize is awarded for "exceptional courage in pursuit of human rights." Something the aforesaid President ias unlikely to get.

The founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, is the latest recipient for this price for the very same, "exceptional courage in pursuit of human rights".

Assange received the gold medal in London on 10 May. Previous recipients of the medal have included the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela so he is in good company there.

"For 14 years we’ve awarded the Sydney Peace Prize, but only on three occasions in 14 years have made an exception to the rule and awarded a gold medal for ‘exceptional courage in pursuit of human rights,'” Sydney Peace Foundation director, Stuart Rees, said at the event according to a report from London's Frontline Club.

"By challenging centuries-old practices of government secrecy and by championing people's right to know, WikiLeaks and Julian Assange have created the potential for a new order in journalism and in the free flow of information," Rees said in a statement issued by the foundation.

"Instead of demonising an Australian citizen who has broken no law, the Australian Government must stop shoring up Washington's efforts to behave like a totalitarian state. The treatment of alleged whistleblower Bradley Manning confirms a US administration at odds with their commitment to universal human rights and intent on militaristic bullying."