Oslo, Norway, Mar 3, 2008 / 16:13 pm
The founder and president of the Christian Liberation Movement, Oswaldo Paya, is among the 197 candidates nominated for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.
According to Nobel officials, those nominated include 164 individuals and 33 organizations. It’s the second largest number of candidates in the history of the Prize. The largest number was in 2005, with 199 candidates.
The five member committee met last Tuesday to begin whittling down the number of candidates after nominations ended in February. The Nobel Peace Prize includes $1.62 million, which can be shared by up to three winners, who will be announced on October 10.
Oswaldo Jose Paya Sardinas was born in Havana, Cuba, on February 29, 1952, and is one of the most well-known democratic activists in the country. He organized the Varela Project, which was an effort based on Cuba’s constitution to collect enough signatures to present a referendum for political change to the legislature.