【Week 7】白頭盔

Syria's White Helmets win 'alternative Nobel Prize'

22 September 2016

The Syria Civil Defence, a volunteer rescue service also known as the White Helmets, has won this year's Right Livelihood Award.

The award is worth €315,000 (£271,184) split between four recipients.

The White Helmets were recognized for "outstanding bravery, compassion and humanitarian engagement in rescuing civilians".

The group has almost 3,000 volunteers, and claims to have saved 60,000 lives in the Syrian conflict.

The White Helmets are internationally recognized for their rescue efforts, and have been nominated for the "real" Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced in October.

In an interview with the APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) news agency, Mr. Assad asked: "What did they achieve in Syria?

"How unpoliticised is the Nobel Prize? That's the other question," he said.

"I would only give a prize to whoever worked for the peace in Syria first of all by stopping the terrorists from blowing war on Syria, only."

What are the White Helmets?

• started early 2013 as a volunteer workforce
• includes bakers, tailors, carpenters, electricians
• 130 killed out of about 3,000 members
• say they are neutral, have no political affiliation and save people from all sides of conflict
• also do repair works, reconnect electrical cables and secure the buildings
• run by donations, also helped by US Aid and Dutch foreign ministry
  
  

Excerpt from:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37442277

 

Structure of the lead:

Who: White Helmets

What: won Right Livelihood Award

When: September 22, 2016

How: Not given

Why: Not given

Where: Not given

Key Words:

Alternative Nobel Prize (n.)諾貝爾替代獎
Right Livelihood Award (n.)正確生活方式獎

recipient (n.)接受者

compassion (n.)同情心
humanitarian (n.)人道主義
nominate (v.)提名

unpoliticised (a.)非政治化

workforce (n.)勞動力

neutral (a.)中立的