Oakland, CA - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA, 9th District), a Mills College alumna from the class of 1973, has been nominated for the “1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005.”  Known for her sole Congressional vote against the resolution authorizing President Bush to initiate the war in Iraq, she has built a record of major accomplishment since first being elected to Congress in 1998. Congresswoman Lee has worked on behalf of AIDS, housing and homelessness, ending genocide, education, health care, and other critical issues of our time.

One-third of all the American nominees for the 1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 are from the Bay Area.  The winner of this international project will be announced this fall. Among the 1,000 nominees was Ellen Barry, former Mills Women's Leadership Institute (WLI) scholar, attorney and prison rights activist. Margo Okazawa-Rey, former WLI director was responsible for finding the nominees in North America, Japan, and Korea. According to organizers, the project was developed to find 1,000 exemplary women to collectively receive the Nobel Peace Prize representing the millions of nameless women worldwide who work for justice, education, political rights, and security. The nominees from more than 150 countries are a diverse cross section of women farmers, teachers, activists, artists, and politicians.

Only 12 women have received the Nobel Peace Prize since it was first awarded in 1901.

1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 originated in Switzerland in March 2003, when Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold, a member of the Swiss Parliament and the Council of Europe, visited refugee camps in Bosnia, Chechnya, and other war-torn countries. The $3.8 million project is funded through foundations, institutes, and individuals, predominantly in Switzerland.

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. Consistently ranked among the top 75 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Mills is also recognized as one of the country’s 10 most diverse colleges. Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity.           

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