On Oct 30 the Rt Rev Rubin Philip was awarded the 2009 International Bremen Peace Award at a ceremony at the city’s town hall. Bishop Philip stated he would use the €15,000 award to support the construction of a school in the rural town of Mpophomeni, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

The bishop was nominated by the KZN Christian Council for his work in April 2008 in blocking a shipment of weapons aboard a Chinese ship in Durban from being transshipped to Zimbabwe. Bishop Philip and the Diakonia Council of Churches were successful in having a court issue an injunction halting the shipment, and for mobilising dockworkers to refuse to unload the vessel.

Bishop Philip was also honoured for his work on behalf of Abahlali baseMjondolo, a democratically elected organization representing the residents of the Kennedy Road shantytown outside Durban.

Two people were killed in an attack on shack-dwellers in the Kennedy Road in September by a mob allegedly organized by a faction of the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC has denied responsibility for the attack.

Last week Bishop Philip called upon the government to convene a “judicial commission of inquiry into the violence, destruction of property and displacement of residents.”

The CEO of the KZN Christian Council, the Rev Phumzile Zondi-Mabizela told the Natal Witness the award was a “fitting recognition of the bishop’s contribution to peace in Southern Africa and KwaZulu-Natal”.

“His activity is well documented, from the time of his involvement in the struggle against apartheid. He is on record as an independent prophetic voice at a time where the religious and the political leadership in southern Africa seem to be blunt and callous on matters of peace, justice, human rights, the plight of the poor and the integrity of creation.”

Launched in 2003 by the Threshold Foundation, the Bremen Peace Award recognises those who “have the courage to cross thresholds” and display “exemplary commitment to justice, peace and the integrity of creation.”

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