For the first time, the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize will be fashioned from Fairmined gold.
The prize (pictured, right), featuring the head of Alfred Nobel, was struck at the Royal Norwegian Mint in Kongsberg. The prize will be presented on Dec. 10 to Tunisia’s National Dialogue Quartet, which is credited with avoiding a civil war in Tunisia following the Arab Spring, which began in 2011.
To be certified as Fairmined by the Alliance for Responsible Mining, small-scale gold miners must meet requirements for responsible practices, such as ensuring social development and environmental protection.
The gold used in the medal comes from the Fairmined-certified Íquira cooperative in Colombia. Since receiving Fairmined certification in 2004, the cooperative has won a premium on its gold of approximately $4,000 per kilo. The funds have been used to invest in improvement of their operations and in community projects.
“We are proud that the peace prize is made of gold from our cooperative,” said Luis Alfredo Gonzales from the Íquira cooperative in a statement. “This is a huge international acknowledgement that allows us to show the world that responsible mining is possible.”
