World stars honour Nobel peace laureate
From Doug Mellgren

OSLO (Norway)—Global celebrities, including Hollywood stars Salma Hayek and Julianne Moore, praised Nobel peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei Sunday for his efforts to save humanity from nuclear weapons. The stars were gathered in the Norwegian capital to perform in the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert, this year in honour of ElBaradei and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“ElBaradei said the largest threat to world security and all of our futures is (nuclear) terrorism,” Moore, a three-time Oscar nominee, said at a news conference. “There is nothing more pressing right now than a global effort for peace and control of these materials. I don’t think there is anything more pressing ... than the future of mankind.”
Moore, 44, and 39-year-old Mexican actress Hayek are joint masters of ceremony for the concert, which features artists including Gladys Knight, Duran Duran, Westlife and Sugababes. The show, the day after the Nobel awards ceremony, is broadcast to about 100 countries and has become the cornerstone of three days of Nobel peace celebrations in Norway.
Geir Lundestad, the nonvoting secretary of the five-member awards committee, said the concert also helps spread the word of the Nobel prize. “The most important message of the Nobel Peace Prize, we think, is that we can all make a difference,” he said.
ElBaradei and the IAEA he leads shared the coveted award for their effort to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and keep them out of the hands of terrorists. They were also honoured for using diplomacy in efforts resolve standoffs with Iran and North Korea over their nuclear programs.
“He’s trying to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. That gives hope for the whole world,” said Colombian rock star Juanes, who uses one name and is a hugely popular in Spanish-speaking countries. “I think the most important thing for all of us is the future of our families, our children.”
Hayek, nominated for a best actress award for her role in the film “Frida”, said peace can only come when people change their way of thinking. “When we can collectively, as a social conscience, dream a dream of peace, this is when peace will become a very tangible reality,” she said.
American singer Knight said, “I am proud to be part of something that is definitely so moving and uplifting. ... I probably would never have know of this wonderful accomplishment by such an extraordinary man if it were not for the Nobel Peace Prize.” The concert caps three days of celebrations in Oslo, which included the awards ceremony as well as a Nobel banquet on Saturday.