Nepal’s Kesha Kumari Damini has been selected for the Oslo Business for Peace Award 2014.

A jury of Nobel laureates in peace and economics has selected six recipients of the Oslo Business for Peace Award, following a worldwide nomination process.

The winners will be awarded at a ceremony in Oslo City Hall on May 15.

Nobel laureates in peace and economics have chosen six global business leaders, including Kesha, who are showing the way in creating economic value that also creates value for society.

This year’s honourees cover a broad range of geographies and industries.

Kesha Kumari Damini from Nepal is the leader of more than 60,000 micro entrepreneurs. Though Damini came from the most disadvantaged of Dalit communities in Nepal, her leadership and success have inspired many to become entrepreneurs, explore self-employment opportunities and overcome discrimination.

Likewise, Ouided Bouchamaoui from Tunisia heads the Hedi Bouchamaoui Group. Bouchamaoui works to help Tunisia pull through its challenges by pushing for national reconciliation, by protecting both enterprises and employment policy, and assisting the urgent need to restore security. In Bouchamaoui’s opinion, conditions fundamental for promoting social peace and prosperity.

Selima Ahmad from Bangladesh is the vice chairperson of the Nitol-Niloy Group. With her deep understanding of the plight of women in a male dominated, poverty afflicted society, she focuses on developing entrepreneurial talent, and organising financial and marketing resources in order to enable women to overcome hurdles and expand their business beyond the micro threshold.

Sir Richard Branson from UK is the founder and owner of Virgin Group. Branson uses his reputation to influence important issues also outside business. He is a signatory of the non-profit Global Zero campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons, has taken a strong stand against climate change skepticism, and took the initiative to create The Elders, a gathering of independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights.

Similarly, Marilyn Carlson Nelson from the USA is the chairperson and former chief executive of Carlson. Nelson’s pace-setting approach to responsible business focuses on engaging in dialogue with stakeholders about local causes and global issues. Across a range of challenges her approach contributes to peace through the creation of shared value. Notably, she is a strong advocate for the abolition of sexual exploitation of children.

Adnan Kassar from Lebanon is chairperson of Fransabank, and has been a driver of growth and development in Lebanon, in the absence of political stability and security, for many decades. Through motivating the private sector, his work has contributed to the prosperity of the country and its attractiveness to foreign investors, thus maintaining and securing the livelihood of the Lebanese people.

Since the first award ceremony in 2009, a total of 31 Business for Peace Honourees have been awarded, all inspirational and far-sighted exemplars of business at its best. The Business for Peace Honourees all contribute to a better understanding of social and economic progress through showing how shared value can be created between business and society.

This year’s honourees were selected following a global nomination process conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the United Nations Global Compact.

The Business for Peace Honourees will be recognised during a formal ceremony in Oslo City Hall, in the same venue where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented. The Business for Peace Foundation has collaborated with the City of Oslo in developing the award since its inception in 2007.

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