President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf chosen for Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2012

Liberian President and Nobel laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on 19 November 2012 was chosen for 2012 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for being an inspiration to women and ensuring return of peace and democracy in her country. The award is set up by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust with an international jury chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Indira Gandhi Prize is being awarded to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for serving as an example and inspiration to women in Africa and beyond and for ensuring the return of peace, democracy, development, security and order in Liberia.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who is the 24th President of Liberia was commended by the jury for her strong interest in the consolidation and improvement of Liberia's relations with India. She was risen to the Presidency becoming the first elected female head of state of the African continent. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took over office as the President of Liberia in 2006 acquiring a legacy of distrust, disharmony and mismanagement. She had successfully restored financial health her country which was on the verge of fiscal breakdown.

About Indira Gandhi Peace Prize

The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize is the prominent award given annually by the Government of India to individuals or organizations in acknowledgment to resourceful efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order; ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom. The prize carries a cash award of 25 lakh Indian rupees and a citation. To be eligible for consideration it is mandatory to have a written work published.
The 2011 recipient of Indira Gandhi Peace Prize was Ela Bhatt the Founder of Sewa, Self-Employed Women's Association of India.

List of Recipients Indira Gandhi Peace Prize

Year     Name    
1986     Parliamentarians for Global Action    
1987    Mikhail Gorbachev    
1988    Gro Harlem Brundtland    
1989     UNICEF    
1990    Sam Nujoma    
1991    Rajiv Gandhi   
1992    Saburo Okita    
1993    Vaclav Havel    
1994    Trevor Huddleston    
1995    Olusegun Obasanjo    
1996    Medicins Sans Frontieres    
1997    Jimmy Carter    
1998    Muhammad Yunus    
1999    M S Swaminathan    
2000    Mary Robinson    
2001     Sadako Ogata    
2002    Shridath Ramphal    
2003    Kofi Annan    
2004    Maha Chakri Sirindhorn    
2005     Hamid Karzai    
2006    Wangari Maathai    
2007    Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation    
2008     Mohamed ElBaradei    
2009    Sheikh Hasina    
2010    Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva   
2011     Ela Bhatt   
2012    Ellen Johnson Sirleaf