New York, NY – “In recognition of their work chronicling human rights in Asia, Africa, and the developing world”, on Wednesday 14 October, authors Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, were named recipients of the 2009 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Lifetime Achievement.
Kristof and WuDunn’s most recent book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, devotes a chapter to the success of Tostan’s work in West and East Africa. Focusing on the innovative model of Community-led development employed by Tostan (based on the implementation of a 30-month non-formal education program in human rights, health, hygiene amongst other modules), the authors note the “stunning difference” that Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program (CEP) has affected in the communities reached so far.
Due to the success the Tostan model has had in facilitating the abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC), Kristof and WuDunn argue that it should be applied as “a model for a larger global movement for women in the developing world.”
In 1990, Kristof, a journalist for the New York Times, and WuDunn, a former New York Times Reporter and Editor, were joint recipients of a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the democracy movement and its suppression in China. In 2006, Kristof went on to receive a second Pulitzer Prize for his New York Times op-ed columns on Darfur.
Chair of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Committee, Sharon Rab, says:
“Kristof and WuDunn share a passion for peace and justice that inspires both readers and leaders to pay attention to difficult issues that are too often ignored and overlooked. Their writing and reporting exemplifies the power of the written word to create change and spur people and nations to action.”
To read more about Tostan in Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, click here. To buy the book and support the movement for women worldwide, visit the Half the Sky website by clicking here.
