In June 2005 the Nobel Peace Centre will open in Oslo. The centre will present information about the work of Wangari Maathai and previous Nobel Peace Laureates, as well as about Alfred Nobel and the Nobel organisation. The aim is to meet the public’s need for information, encourage discussion and raise awareness about war, peace and conflict resolution.
Wangari Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on 10 December as the first female African Laureate ever. Her determined efforts to preserve the environment and promote equitable distribution of resources will now be documented and presented at the new Nobel Peace Centre.
The Peace Centre will be housed in a former railway station close to the harbour and Oslo City Hall, where the Nobel Prize award ceremony takes place every year on 10 December. The old station building is undergoing extensive renovation and will contain flexible spaces, suitable for modern exhibition and communication techniques. Exhibitions and films will be combined with digital and interactive activities. The Peace Centre will host events including lectures, open meetings and seminars, in addition to a variety of activities such as dance, music and other forms of artistic expression.
The Nobel Peace Prize focuses the world’s attention on the struggle for peace and on the dramatic story behind each Laureate. The Nobel Peace Centre will be a permanent tribute to mankind’s best efforts to build peace and to the life and work of all the Nobel Peace Laureates.
By The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs