Rich Trumka, Jr’s Acceptance Remarks on his own behalf and that of his mother on the posthumous presentation of the World Peace Prize For Solidarity, which President Trumka had been due to receive.

Posted By: January 08, 2023

Rich Trumka, Jr’s Acceptance Remarks on his own behalf and that of his mother on the posthumous presentation of the World Peace Prize For Solidarity, which President Trumka had been due to receive.

(Thursday, January 5, 2023).

First, thank you, President Christensen, for welcoming my family to be a part of this wonderful event.  Congratulations to you for the honor you’re receiving today.  And thank you for allowing us to celebrate my father’s contributions to solidarity and peace alongside yours.

Thank you to Father McManus, Barbara Flaherty, and the entire World Peace Prize Awarding Committee.  It’s a special honor to know that, in attaching his name to this award, my dad will forever be tied to the intersection between solidarity and peace.

He appreciated that the World Peace Prize saw what so many others missed…that organized labor through solidarity, and the pursuit of justice, forges the path to peace. 

My dad had a unique gift for spotting the ways that others sought to divide us… to sow discord between us…to build division based on whatever artificial distinction was convenient…be it race or gender or any other differences that should be irrelevant.  And he devoted his life to overcoming those efforts to divide us.  He showed people their common ground, he healed divisions, and in doing so, he was a bringer of peace.   

This award is a wonderful tribute. Thank you for keeping my father’s memory alive.  I love that you’ll be recognizing those that take the same noble path to peace.  Thank you, brothers and sisters.