“Steven Tolman, president, AFL-CIO— a charismatic, energetic, and passionate Labor leader— eminently deserves this Prize.”
Fr. Sean McManus, President Steven Tolman, and Barbara Flaherty
CAPITOL HILL. Wednesday, January 16, 2019— A top Massachusetts Labor leader has been awarded the World Peace Prize.
Steven Tolman, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, was presented with the World Peace Prize of “Roving Ambassador for Peace.”
The presentation ceremony took place on Tuesday afternoon, January 15, 2019, in Florian Hall, Dorchester, Boston.
World Leader and Master Planner, Rev. Dr. Han Min Su, founded the World Peace Prize in Seoul, South Korea, in 1989. Dr. Han is a Presbyterian Minister.
The presentation was made by Fr. Sean McManus—Chief Judge of the World Peace Prize and President of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus— and the ceremony was chaired by Barbara Flaherty, a Judge of the World Peace Prize Awarding Council, and Executive Vice President of the Irish National Caucus.
The World Peace Prize Awarding Council consists of 14-member Board of International and Interfaith judges. The Board is comprised of representatives of the world’s nine major religions: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Russian Orthodox, and Zoroastrianism.
Fr. Mc Manus explained: “Working for peace, locally or globally, means, in effect and of necessity, working for social justice. Therefore, members of the Labor Movement are ideally qualified to be recipients of our World Peace Prize. Steven Tolman, President, AFL-CIO— a charismatic, energetic, and passionate Labor leader— eminently deserves this Prize. As Pope John Paul 1I has said, ‘peace is the fruit of solidarity.’ And the American Labor Movement knows a thing or two about solidarity.”
President Tolman in his acceptance speech said: “I am humbled by this award because I truly believe that every union leader and activist is worthy of the same recognition. We’re all working day in and day out for justice…
On behalf of our members,
On behalf of fairness in the workplace,
On behalf of all working people who deserve a voice and their fair share.
As Martin Luther King said: ‘As you press on for justice, be sure to move with dignity and discipline, using only the weapon of love.’Thank you for the honor of receiving this award.” [Full speech will be available next week on our website — WorldPeacePrizeWashington.org]
