Hume family to give Nobel, MLK and Gandhi Peace Prizes to the people of Derry

John Hume's widow and family have announced they are to give the Nobel, Martin Luther King and Gandhi Peace Prizes to the people of Londonderry.Pat Hume and members of the Hume family will meet with Cllr Brian Tierney, Mayor of Derry and Strabane Council, on Friday morning at the Guildhall in Derry to announce their intention to give the Nobel Peace Prize, the Martin Luther King Jnr Non-Violent Prize and Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize to the people of the city.

John Hume, who died in August last year, was a key figure in the Northern Ireland peace process.

John Hume, who died in August last year, was the only person in history to be awarded the Nobel Peace Laureate in 1998, the Martin Luther King Jnr Non-Violent Prize in 1999 and the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize in 2002.

Pat Hume said: “On receipt of the Nobel Peace Laureate, the Martin Luther King Jnr Non Violent Prize and the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize, John said he accepted each award with a tremendous sense of honour.

"John accepted them in the name of all the peace-makers who helped nourish the peace process and all the people of Ireland, North and South, nationalist and unionist, who never wavered in their commitment to peace and reconciliation.

"We believe it is right for the people of Derry to have the opportunity to share these peace awards. It is our intention to give the peace prizes to the Derry and Strabane Council to be exhibited in a public place.”

John and Pat Hume

Mayor Brian Tierney said: “It is a huge honour that Pat Hume and the Hume family intend to give these unique peace prizes to the people of Derry.

"John Hume was my great hero. He was a true and courageous peace maker who made a huge impact in Derry, on the island and internationally.

"As President Clinton rightly said: ‘He was Ireland’s Martin Luther King."

Watch: John Hume - The Path to Peace

From humble beginnings to architect of peace in Northern Ireland, John Hume's remarkable contribution is recalled in his own words and by those who witnessed the long road to the Good Friday Agreement in a UTV special programme looking back at his life.