November, 2023 - World Peace Prize Awarding Council

AFL-CIO AND WORLD PEACE PRIZE—IRISH PEACE FOUNDATION/IRISH NATIONAL CAUCUS

By Fr. Sean McManus

In February 1975, the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO invited me to Bal Harbour, Florida, to brief them on the Irish issue. The Executive Council on that same day endorsed the Irish National Caucus. President Meany delegated Lane Kirkland, Secretary-Treasurer, to announce the endorsement at a Caucus luncheon hosted by Labor Leaders and attended by a couple of hundred labor leaders.

Then about ten years later, the Executive Council invited me to brief them in Bal Harbour on the MacBride Principles—a corporate code of conduct for American companies doing business in Northern Ireland.

The AFL-CIO became the first significant group to endorse the Mac Bride Principles.

So, I have known every President of the AFL-CIO since George Meany to Liz Shuler.

Indeed, when we honored Ms. Esther Lopez, International Secretary-Treasurer, UFCW, with a World Peace Prize at the AFL-CIO Headquarters, February 5, 2019, then Secretary-Treasurer Shuler asked us if she could speak at our Presentation Ceremony. Of course, we were delighted and honored to accommodate her. She stated: “Thank you, Barbara Flaherty, for the kind introduction. I also want to thank Father Sean McManus for his leadership and vision, as well as Reverend Dr. Han Min Su and the entire World Peace Prize Awarding Council for everything they do to build a better world. There is a crystal-clear connection between the labor movement and peace and justice in our world.”

International President Perrone and his top team praised our honoring of Ms. Lopez in this Ad in the Honorific Journal:

“The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) proudly supports the Irish National Caucus World Peace Prize.

We salute this year’s World Peace Prize for Labor Leadership recipients, including our very own UFCW International Secretary-Treasurer Esther R. Lopez for their contribution to world peace through seeking solidarity, equality, and justice for all working men and women.”

And, President Shuler made the following statement welcoming our re-naming of the Prize to the “Richard L. Trumka World Peace Prize for Solidarity,” said: “Rich Trumka’s contributions to peace and prosperity around the world were countless. He was a global ambassador for worker rights, economic justice, dignity, and respect for all human beings. I can think of no one more deserving of this honor.” (November 8, 2021).

And, when we honored President Trumka himself with the World Peace Prize of “Roving Ambassador for Peace” —(his inaugural and formal launching of the World Peace Prize throughout the AFL-CIO/American Organized Labor), he said: “I know that Father McManus has moved the needle [on solidarity, justice, and peace in Ireland], and Father, for that I offer you, on behalf of the entire AFL-CIO, a sincere Thank you.” —President Richard L. Trumka, AFL-CIO, February 3, 2016.’

And, President Trumka also later stated:

“I want to thank Barbara Flaherty, Fr. McManus, and the World Peace Prize Awarding Council for recognizing the nexus between Organized Labor and peace. Too many times in the past we were not looked at as being part of the peace process. So, I really appreciate the World Peace Prize Awarding Council recognizing the connection between fighting for social justice and peace.”

—President Richard L. Trumka, AFL-CIO in his acceptance address on receiving the World Peace Prize for Labor Leadership at AFL-CIO Headquarters in Washington, DC. June 19, 2018. (To review President Trumka’s acceptance speech, go to vimeo.com/275953504)

TRUMKA FAMILY ENDORSEMENT AND PRAISE

The re-naming of the Prize has been warmly welcomed by the Trumka Family: “We are honored that Rich’s name will live on, always linked with solidarity and peace because the World Peace Prize for Solidarity will be re-named in his honor the ‘Richard L. Trumka World Peace Prize for Solidarity.'” (October 9, 2021).

And, President Trumka’s son, Rich Jr., stated: “[My father] appreciated that the World Peace Prize saw what so many others missed…that organized labor through solidarity, and the pursuit of justice, forges the path to peace.” (January 5, 2023).

DENISE BERKLEY, CSEA-AFSCME TO RECEIVE

RICHARD L. TRUMKA WORLD PEACE PRIZE FOR SOLIDARITY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Telephone: 202-544-0568

Friday, November 17, 2023

The World Peace Prize has announced that another recipient of the “Richard L. Trumka World Peace Prize for Solidarity” will be Denise Berkley, Executive Vice President, CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association) and an International Vice President of AFCME.

The Presentation Ceremony will take place during the first week (working week) of March 2024, 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM at CSEA Metropolitan Region 2 Office 125 Maiden Lane, 5th. Floor, New York, NY 10038

The actual date will be announced later.

Ms.Berkley’s office will issue the invitations to this free event—not a fundraiser. The World Peace Prize does not issue invitations.

The announcement was made by Fr. Sean, McManus, Chief Judge of the World Peace Prize and President of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus/Irish Peace Foundation.

Fr. McManus said:

“I have the honor of being the Chief Judge of the World Peace Prize, which is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It was founded in 1989 by the late Presbyterian Minister Rev. Dr. Han Min Su.

The World Peace Prize Awarding Council is composed of representatives of the nine Major World Religions, and it selects worthy potential Laureates of the World Peace Prizes of ‘Roving Ambassador for Peace’; ‘World Peace Prize for Labor Leadership’; and ‘World Peace Prize for Solidarity,’ re-named after President Trumka’s death (August 5, 2021) the ‘Richard L. Trumka World Peace Prize for Solidarity.”—www.worldpeaceprizewashington.org

“The late, great President Trumka, God rest him, on February 3, 2016, at his AFL-CIO Headquarters, helped us to launch the World Peace Prize throughout American Organized Labor. To do so, he graciously agreed to receive all three World Peace Prizes. He died before he could receive the World Peace Prize for Solidarity, so we posthumously presented it to his family, and then in his honor re-named it the ‘Richard L. Trumka World Peace Prize for Solidarity.’

President Trumka deeply appreciated and enthusiastically supported our linking Organized Labor to the World Peace Prize and that is now an important part of his legacy. View his own 3-minute statement.”—

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13ZF5S61DVCS7Cuey4YAl3Dn6kA0ztr3C/view

RE-NAMING PRIZE WARMLY WELCOMED

President Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO, said: “Rich Trumka’s contributions to peace and prosperity around the world were countless. He was a global ambassador for worker rights, economic justice, dignity, and respect for all human beings. I can think of no one more deserving of this honor.” (November 8, 2021).

And, his son, Rich Jr., has stated: “[My father] appreciated that the World Peace Prize saw what so many others missed…that organized labor through solidarity, and the pursuit of justice, forges the path to peace.” (January 5, 2023).

Fr. McManus explained: “In President Trumka’s memory, I now refer to American Organized Labor as “Organized Love of Neighbor” because “Love of Neighbor” means, in effect and consequence, the doing of social justice on this earth.

President Trumka also strongly supported our policy of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our selection of World Peace Prize Laureates.”

Denise Berkley, Executive Vice President, CSEA, and an International Vice President of AFCME.

Fr. McManus continued: “I was pleased and honored to propose

Denise Berkley, Executive Vice President, CSEA, for this very

special World Peace Prize because, like the late, beloved President Trumka, she has demonstrated life-long dedication to the Union, solidarity, social and economic justice, and peace.

Ms.Berkley is a distinguished, impressive, and effective Labor leader—a trailblazer and a legend in New York State and throughout American Organized Labor. And an ideal Laureate of the Richard L.Trumka World Peace Prize for Solidarity. The CSEA website states this about Ms. Berkley: ‘A longtime union activist, she remains just as committed today to the ongoing struggle for social, racial and economic justice for workers and communities, as when her activism began as a leader in the local struggle against apartheid in South Africa in her youth.'”(See her acceptance-quote below).

Since I became the Chief Judge, we have made social justice the heart and soul of peace, and of the World Peace Prize.

Why does a World Religion peace group make social justice so central?

Because, as the American Protestant Old Testament Scholar, Rev.Walter Brueggemann has stated: ‘In Biblical faith, the doing of justice is the primary expectation of God.’

Because Islamic scholar Ajmal Masroor states: ‘Standing firm for justice is considered closest to Godliness. In other words, my religious and social responsibility is to work for just causes.’

Because Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us that peace is the fruit of justice; and Saint Pope John Paul II taught us, ‘peace is the fruit of solidarity.’

Because the Catholic Church teaches: ‘… Action on behalf of justice [is] a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel…and [a constitutive dimension] of the Church’s mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation.’

Because this is how Jesus Christ, Himself, announced His mission: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has appointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, to give the blind new sight, and to set free all who are oppressed,” (Luke 4:18-19).

And because Jesus declared: “In so far as you did it to least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40).

That is why we were able to place American Organized Labor in the category of those who should be considered worthy recipients of the World Peace Prize—because Labor leaders who spend their lives fighting for social and economic justice for working women and men are also building peace locally, nationally, and worldwide.

And, the wonderful thing about placing social justice at the heart and center of peace is this: People of faith believe that faith must be the faith that does justice on this earth (otherwise, it is not faith). And people of no faith, but of goodwill, also know they have to do justice (otherwise, they are not of goodwill),” Fr. McManus concluded.

Vice President Berkley’s Acceptance Quote:

“I am honored and humbled to receive this precious Prize— a Prize not only for World Peace, which is so poignant in regards to our world today, but one re- named in honor of the beloved President Trumka, and a Prize dedicated to solidarity. I accept it not only as a personal honor but also as a corporate honor on behalf of our great union, CSEA.

I always admired President Trumka’s leadership, because he was a servant leader, working for others and not for themselves.

I am also pleased to accept this Prize because it means so much to President Trumka’s family. President Trumka’s leadership in helping to launch the World Peace Prize throughout American Organized Labor is now an important part of his splendid legacy. And I will do all I can to honor that legacy.” END OF QUOTE.

END.