The Sydney Peace Prize is awarded by the Sydney Peace Foundation, a non profit organisation associated with the University of Sydney. The prize promotes peace with justice and the practice of nonviolence. It aims to encourage public interest and discussion about issues of peace, social justice, human rights, and non-violent conflict resolution. Support The City of Sydney is a major supporter of the Sydney Peace Prize. This involves a significant financial contribution along with other in-kind support in order to foster peace with justice. The prize Over three months each year, the Sydney Peace Prize jury – comprising seven individuals who represent corporate, media, academic and community sector interests – assesses the merits of the nominees' efforts to promote peace with justice. It is awarded to an organisation or individual: who has made significant contributions to global peace including improvements in personal security and steps towards eradicating poverty, and other forms of structural violence whose role and responsibilities enable the recipient to use the prize to further the cause of peace with justice whose work illustrates the philosophy and principles of non-violence Considerations The jury has been prepared to make some controversial choices. Sydney Peace Foundation Founder, Emeritus Professor Stuart Rees, said, "The initiators of the Sydney Peace Prize aimed to influence public interest in peace with justice, an ideal which is often perceived as controversial. The choice of a non-controversial candidate for a peace prize would be a safe option but unlikely to prompt debate or to increase understanding. Consensus usually encourages compliance, often anaesthetises and seldom informs." Prize winners 1998 – Professor Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank for the poor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient 1999 – Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize recipient 2000 – Xanana Gusmão, the poet-artist and president of East Timor 2001 – Sir William Deane, the former Governor-General of Australia 2002 – Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 2003 – Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian academic and human rights campaigner 2004 – Arundhati Roy, Indian novelist and peace activist 2005 – Olara Otunnu, United Nations Under Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict from Uganda 2006 – Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International 2007 – Hans Blix, chairman of the UN Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission 2008 – Patrick Dodson, chairman of the Lingiari Foundation 2009 – John Pilger, Australian journalist and documentary maker 2010