The B’nai Brith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) has launched an Australian campaign to petition the Nobel Prize Committee to award Sir Nicholas Winton the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.

Earlier this year, the Czech Parliament submitted its own nomination of Sir Winton.

Sir Nicholas Winton…at the age of 103

Chairman of the ADC, Dr Dvir Abramovich said: “Sir Nicholas Winton, who will turn 105 this year, rescued 669 Czech and Slovak Children during the Holocaust. He is one of a handful of individuals who stood up in the name of conscience, moral courage and compassion.

We can only imagine how many more Jews would have lived if there were more righteous men like Nicholas Winton. His incalculable bravery is an example and a lesson for us today and for future generations about the value of stepping forward in moments of moral collapse, and against overwhelming odds, and doing whatever is necessary to prevent the murder of innocent people.

Sydney’s Norah Huppert looks up at Sir Nicholas Winton…the man who rescued her from Prague. Photo: Henrty Benjamin

There are more than 5000 adults who are here today because Sir Winton saved their parents and grandparents and it is telling that this caring individual told no one about his incredible deeds.

The ADC believes that Sir Winton is a true hero and that for his bravery and service to humanity, to which we can only aspire, he should be awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.

We have established a petition https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/the-norwegian-nobel-committee-nobel-for-sir-nicholas to lobby the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and I call on community leaders, parliamentarians and members of the Jewish and non-Jewish community to support our campaign and to add their voices to this important petition. The ADC will present the petition and signatures to the Czech consular representative in Melbourne as well as send it to the Norwegian Nobel Committee”.

Sir Nicholas Winton was known as the British Oskar Schindler.