Greek islanders nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Record ID: 83192

  • Title: Greek islanders nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
  • Date: 1st October 2016
  • Summary: OFF LESBOS, GREECE (FILE - OCTOBER, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS JUMPING OFF SINKING BOAT AS PEOPLE USE ROPES TO PULL IT TO SHORE AT SEA (FILE - OCTOBER 18, 2015) (REUTERS) FRONT OF FISHING BOAT AS IT IS DRIVEN OUT TO SEA OFF LESBOS, GREECE (FILE - OCTOBER, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FISHERMAN, CONSTANTINOS PINTERIS, DRIVING BOAT DINGHY BOAT CARRYING MIGRANTS ON HORIZON PINTERIS COILING ROPE AS HE PREPARES TO RESCUE MIGRANTS FROM BOAT MIGRANT FASTENING ROPE TO FRONT OF BOAT AS MIGRANTS WAVE PINTERIS TALKING ON RADIO TO GREEK COAST GUARD AS HE PULLS BOAT FULL OF MIGRANTS BEHIND LESBOS, GREECE (FILE - OCTOBER 18, 2015) (REUTERS) CHILD CRYING AS MIGRANTS AND VOLUNTEERS CARRY IT OFF WOODEN BOAT LOCAL VOLUNTEERS HELPING MIGRANTS DISEMBARK FROM CRAMMED BOAT, REMOVING LUGGAGE FROM BOAT AT SEA (FILE - OCTOBER 17, 2015) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) FISHING BOATS RESCUING MIGRANTS OFF LESBOS, GREECE (FILE - OCTOBER 17, 2015) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) FISHERMAN PULLING BOAT FILLED WITH MIGRANTS INTO DOCK BOAT FULL OF MIGRANTS BEING PULLED INTO DOCK FISHING BOAT DOCKING LOCAL RESIDENTS HELPING MIGRANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN OFF FISHING BOAT MIGRANTS ARRIVING AT RESTAURANT VARIOUS OF LOCAL WOMAN HELPING TO TAKE WET CLOTHES OFF BABY LESBOS, GREECE (FILE - OCTOBER, 2015) (REUTERS) VOLUNTEERS ON ROCKY BEACH HELPING NEWLY-ARRIVED MIGRANTS LITTLE GIRL IN PINK JACKET SITTING ON BEACH FEMALE MIGRANT LYING ON GROUND, VOLUNTEER HOLDING HER LEGS UP, ANOTHER VOLUNTEER RUBBING HER CHEEKS VARIOUS OF FEMALE MIGRANT ON BEACH AS VOLUNTEER COVERS HER IN THERMAL BLANKET MIGRANT HOLDING BABY WRAPPED IN THERMAL BLANKET IN HIS ARMS MEDICS TRYING TO REVIVE A SMALL NAKED CHILD WRAPPED IN THERMAL BLANKET, SMACKING HIM ON THE BACK UPSIDE DOWN AND GIVING CPR MALE MIGRANT HUGGING AND KISSING HIS CHILD WRAPPED IN BLANKET VARIOUS OF MEDICS GIVING CPR TO SMALL CHILD MIGRANTS BEING GIVEN TREATMENT ON DOCK MEDIC HOLDING OXYGEN MASK OVER THE FACE OF CHILD LESBOS, GREECE (FILE - FEBRUARY 2, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LESBOS RESIDENT, EMILIA KAMVISI, IN HER LIVING ROOM WATCHING TELEVISION (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) EMILIA KAMVISI, SAYING: "The poor refugees, the babies were arriving soaking wet. We would go and keep them company. It was a shame, they were miserable, the babies were cold, they would be shivering." FISHING BOATS FLOATING IN COVE VARIOUS OF FISHERMAN STRATIS VALIAMOS ON FISHING BOAT WITH OTHER FISHERMAN ARRANGING FISHING NETS (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) STRATIS VALIAMOS, SAYING: "I will never forget a drowned baby that must have been three, four-months-old. I wanted to take it out of the sea because I didn't want it to stay in the sea, but I couldn't because of the waves. One minute I could see it and the next minute I would lose it. And further away there was another (baby), and another further down." LESBOS, GREECE (FILE - OCTOBER, 2015) (REUTERS) DEAD BODIES OF MIGRANTS WASHED ASHORE WITH THEIR BACKPACKS, COVERED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS USING A SHEET AND A PLASTIC BAG COVERED DEAD BODY
  • Embargoed: 16th October 2016 13:00
  • Keywords: Nobel peace Greece migrants refugees Aegean islands
  • Location: LESBOS ISLANDS, GREECE/ AT SEA NEAR GREECE
  • City: LESBOS ISLANDS, GREECE/ AT SEA NEAR GREECE
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001526VEBR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Greek islanders who helped save refugees and migrants making the perilous journey from Turkey to Greece by sea have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
    The nomination came from global activism group Avaaz, which has collected more than 670,000 online signatures to nominate the islander for the prize, saying islanders are "opening up their hearts and homes to save hundreds of thousands."
    The islands in the Aegean Sea have been inundated with tens of thousands of migrants arriving on their shores in packed rubber dinghies, or being rescued at sea from sinking boats.
    Lesbos residents, 85-year-old Greek grandmother Emilia Kamvisi and local fisherman Stratis Valiamos, are typical of the island's volunteers.
    Emilia Kamvisi was captured in a photograph bottle-feeding a Syrian refugee baby in 2015 along with her elderly friends. Forty- year-old fisherman Stratis Valiamos has rescued scores of refugees from drowning with his fishing boat, witnessing drownings first-hand, including children.
    In 2015 Greece was the main gateway into Europe for more than a million people fleeing war, persecution and poverty in countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
    Greece, stretched to its limits after years of economic depression, has struggled to cope with the refugees and migrants, now numbering more than 60,000 in the entire country. Close to 14,000 of those are hosted on the islands.
    Island volunteers and residents, besides taking part in rescues, have also provided food, care and shelter to the migrants.
    But it could be difficult to identify Greek winners as the award can be split between individuals and organisations.
    The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in Oslo on Friday October 7, at 1100 a.m. (0900GMT).
    The prize, worth 10 million Swedish crowns (1.1 million U.S. dollars), will be handed over on December 10, 2016.
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