LIBERIA: Liberian Activist Tipped to Win 2011 Nobel Peace Prize

Harpviken describes Gbowee, 39, as someone who lives up to Alfred Nobel's “champion of peace” ambition and is therefore a strong candidate. Russian rights organization Memorial is first while a Kenyan activist Ory Okolloh comes in third.

Although the Nobel Institute does not make public its list of nominees for 50 years, Harpviken, who serves as director of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, Norway, keeps his own list of possible and confirmed candidates based on his own sources and public announcement. The winner will be announced in October.

Here's what Harpviken has to say on the institute's website about his choice of the Liberian activist who headed the women's group that barricaded a hotel in Accra, Ghana and refused to leave until Liberian warlords reached a peace agreement:

“Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian social worker and peace activist. She has made her mark in peacemaking as well as peace building. She is best known for her mobilization of women to put pressure on Liberia's contending leaders from 2002, which started out as local demonstrations, but moved on to put pressure directly on the parties who were engaged in peace talks. The women gathered around the hotel where talks were housed, and when the parties threatened to split up with no agreement, moved on to barricading the hotel.

“Security personnel instructed to remove the women stepped back in face with the threat that they would undress themselves; seeing naked women is culturally seen as a big shame. Following the 2003 peace treaty, the network mobilized women to vote, and was instrumental for the victory of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

“Gbowee established the Women Peace and Security Network Africa (WIPSEN) in 2006, which she leads, and a Peace Prize could possibly be shared between her and the network.

“Gbowee lives up to Nobel's ‘champions of peace' ambition, as stated in his will, and is a strong candidate on the theme of ‘women, peace and security', which has been reinvigorated in the aftermath of the 10th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the topic.”

Gbowee, a holder of Masters degree in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, the USA, is one of the founders and a former coordinator of Women in Peacebuilding/West African Network for Peacebuilding and served on Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Over the years her work has earned her international recognition. Last year, she was awarded the John Jay Medal of Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Joli Humanitarian Award.

In 2009, she took home the Gruber Prize for Women's Rights and the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Profile in Courage Award. Other accolades include the Women's eNews Leaders of the 21st Century Award in 2008 and the Blue Ribbon for Peace from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University in 2007.