Former environment minister of Brazil wins Norwegian prize

Apr 1, 2009, 13:14 GMT

Oslo - Marina Silva, former environment minister of Brazil, was Wednesday named winner of the annual Sophie Prize for her efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest.

The jury cited Silva for 'her courage, her creativity and her ability to forge alliances.'

She served as environment minister 2003 to 2008 and was credited with helping to reduce the deforestation 'to historically low levels.'

In 2008, she resigned over 'resistance in central parts of government and the society' to halt the deforestation of the Amazon, considered the world's richest ecosystem.

Silva was the 12th winner of the prize created 1997 by Norwegian best-selling author Jostein Gaarder and his wife Siri Dannevig.

The prize is worth 100,000 dollars, and an award ceremony was due in Oslo on June 17.

Silva, born 1958 to a poor rubber tapper family in Acre, western Brazil, worked as a maid. As a teenager she learned to read and write, and later became an activist inspired by among others the late Chico Mendes.

In 1994 she was elected senator, and after leaving her cabinet position she returned to the legislature.

Last year, US biologist Gretchen Daily won the prize.

Previous winners include former Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson and in 2004 the winner was environmentalist and politician Wangari Maathai of Kenya, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize.

Gaarder's 1991 novel, Sophie's World, about the history of philosophy unexpectedly became an international best-seller.

The book has been translated into some 50 languages, and has been adapted as a film, a musical, and a board game.