INMP members were present at the award ceremony for the Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize on 16 November 2016, at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The prize for 2017 was awarded to Sigrid Kaag, who successfully led the OPCW-UN joint mission on the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons. During the ceremony, peace historian Marten van Harten presented his new book about Johan Wateler and the inception of the Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize.
After the death of Johan Gerard Daniël Wateler in 1927 the Carnegie Foundation inherited most of his fortune for establishing a peace prize. The Carnegie Foundation owns a photo of Johan Wateler, which is one of the few photos left of him, a print of the family coat of arms and a silver ink well. Apart from this there was not much known about the life of Johan Wateler.
Extensive research by historian Marten van Harten has revealed some interesting facts about the person, his career, his social circle and ultimately, his motives to establish the Wateler Peace Prize.
Source:
The Peace Palace – www.vredespaleis.nl/building/carnegie-wateler-peace-prize/4477-2/
