Message of support from Kajsa Övergaard, Right Livelihood

Thank you so much Kajsa for sending us this message when you were so busy with the announcement of the new Right Livelihood Award Laureates this week. Congratulations to the new Laureates!

Right Livelihood is a courage-powered community for social change which was established in 1980 in Sweden. Each year they present the Right Livelihood Award which recognizes the actions of brave visionaries around the world. The 2021 Right Livelihood Awards have just been announced and there are now 186 Laureates from 73 countries. Dr. Takagi, one of CNIC’s founders, was awarded this prize in 1997.

Dr. Takagi with his Right Livelihood Award

40 years of Right Livelihood: CNIC Celebration Event

2020 was the 40^th anniversary of the Right Livelihood and global celebrations were held. CNIC also held a special event along with the other Japanese Laureate, Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Cooperative and one of the Korean Laureates, Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice. The theme of the day-long online event was “Building a world which uses less energy but has more happiness.” More than 400 online participants listened to discussions on practical steps of how to transition to a sustainable, just and democratic society.  Perhaps the most important message of the event was that the Right Livelihood Laureates, including Dr. Takagi, show us that change is possible. We can build a world based on community and cooperation if we have the courage to believe in ourselves and our fellow human beings.

Lawyer Kawai Hiroyuki speaking at the event with CNIC’s Co-Director Ban Hideyuki and Edahiro Junko (head of the Institute for Studies in Happiness, Economy and Society), Tsuji Shinichi (an anthropologist who helped found the Slow Movement in Japan) and Seikatsu Club’s Sakurai Kaoru joining the discussion remotely.