1-23-08, 9:30 am
A petition started on the Internet last year suggesting that Pete Seeger be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his lifelong work for peace, social justice, civil rights, human decency, and environmental responsibility, has developed into a grassroots movement with 14,000 + signatures. The word about this petition has spread exclusively by word of mouth and email; no money was spent on advertising.
The web site where you can view the petition is . The names of people who have signed on as sponsors are recognizable to many in the Peace Movement, Folk Song Revival Movement, and Environmental movement: Medea Benjamin of Code Pink and Global Exchange, The Sloop Clearwater, Joan Jara of the Victor Jara Foundation, Cindy Sheehan of Gold Star Families for Peace, Pete's sister and brother Peggy and Mike Seeger, brothers Tom and Dick Smothers who broke the McCarthy era blacklist against Pete on TV, Bernice Johnson Reagon founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock, Oral Historian Studs Terkel, Historian and Author Howard Zinn, to name only a few.
Pete's peace work shows up in the efforts to end the Vietnam War, ban of nuclear weapons, support of the Civil Rights Movement by supporting the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and spreading the song/ We Shall Overcome/ around the world. He spearheaded the building of the Sloop Clearwater that called attention to the pollution of the Hudson River by holding song fests along the banks. The awakened love for the river motivated people to clean up the Hudson so that now fish and children can swim in it for the first time in half a century.
Pete's biography attests to his commitment to principle. Subpoenaed by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1955, Pete defending himself on the basis of the First Amendment. He told the Committee: 'I am not going to answer any questions as to my association, my philosophical, religious, or my political beliefs.... I think these are very improper questions for any American to be asked.' He was boycotted from earning a living in public media, so Pete appeared at union meetings, summer camps, High Schools, and Colleges. His pay at times was as little as $25, but his determination made it possible for him to sing to hundred of thousands of young people.
Pete's signature style is teaching other people to sing. Now that, at 88 yeas old, his voice is worn out, he says 'I just say the line, and the audience sings it!'
Pete Seeger, notorious for his avoidance of any form of personal flattery, is getting very testy. 'It's embarrassing,' he said, 'with the phone ringing every few minutes.' ' I often get credit for things I didn't do.' He implies that he only sang a few songs!
The Nobel Prize petition initially had three aims, according to Eleanor Walden, who started the whole thing: to honor Pete as a role model; to democratize the Nobel selection process by allowing ordinary people to influence the nomination; to accurate identify cultural work as a worthy vehicle for social change, and civic responsibility, and identify cultural workers as deserving of respect from society as engineers of civilization. Her voice toughens, 'only incidentally was it intended as a repudiation of the Henry Kissinger award!' Eleanor gets choked up when she reminisces: 'As I look at the 14 thousand plus signatures and the comments that people post, I realize that people are so grateful for the opportunity to thank Pete for what he has meant to them, their parents and/or grandparents, their children and grandchildren; indeed his influence has spanned 5 generations.'
We just learned that the American Friends Service Committee, which has standing to nominate and from whom we had encouragement, has made its selection for 2008 and it is not Pete Seeger. We must now identify other organizations and individuals willing to mount the nomination. For this we appeal for help to the progressive Community. You are welcome to reach Eleanor Walden at eleanor@nobelprize4pete.org.
Our committee will continue our efforts for as long as it takes as long as Pete is alive.
Even if nominated Pete Seeger may not be elected to receive the Nobel Peace Prize; that is up to the Norwegian Parliament. The proponents of the petition want to be sure that the world knows we have 14 thousand + reasons that Pete Seeger deserves a 'noble' prize for his life's work.
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