This year’s Nobel Peace Prize is made out of “fairmined” Colombian gold, the Alliance for Responsible Mining announced Thursday.
The prize that is handed out next Thursday looks the same as every year with the face of Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel on a golden plaque.
But unlike previous years, this year’s medal has been certified as fairmined for using gold that is mined responsibly, without excessive environmental pollution or the abuse of labor rights.
“A Peace Prize in Fairmined gold makes a perfect match. Both are symbols of the fact that social change requires partnerships and commitments. A big thanks to Samlerhuset, the Mint of Norway and to the certified miners for leading the way.” Lina Villa-Cordoba, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Responsible Mining said in a press release.
The gold comes from an artisan miners’ cooperative in Iquira, Huila, a town in the central-southwest of Colombia.
“We are proud that the Peace Prize is made of gold from our cooperative. This is a huge international acknowledgement that allows us show the world that responsible mining is possible.” Luis Alfredo Gonzales from the Iquira Cooperative said.
The Iquira miners manage one of only 10 mines with Fairmined Certification in the world.