YOKO ONO MADE HONORARY CITIZEN OF REYKJAVIK, ICELAND  
 

Jón Gnarr, mayor of Reykjavík, nominated the artist YOKO ONO  as Honorary Citizen of Reykjavík at a special ceremony at Höfdi House today.

The City Council Executive Committee of Reykjavík agreed unanimously last week to make ONO an honorary citizen of Reykjavík, capital of Iceland.

Yoko Ono receiving the honorary Citizenship of Reykjavik from Mayor John Gnorr

With this honorary title Reykjavík wants to thank  Yoko  for her extremely valuable contribution to Reykjavík and for her lifelong work as an advocate for world peace and human rights and for choosing Reykjavík as a platform from which to spread her message.

To this day four people have been made honorary citizens of Reykjavík: the reverend Mr. Bjarni Jónsson in 1961, the ophthalmologist Mr. Kristján Sveinsson in 1975, former President of Iceland Mrs. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir in 2010 and the Icelandic artist Erró in 2012. YOKO ONO will now be added to this list of honorary citizens.

“With her outstanding work YOKO ONO has pointed the light of peace to Reykjavík. It is therefore a great honour to award her with the title honorary citizen of Reykjavík. YOKO's contribution to peace and human rights issues in the world is unique.  IMAGINE PEACE TOWER has been immensely valuable for Reykjavík.  The LennonOno Grant for Peace ceremony also is now held biennially in Reykjavík . We have the wish that the city be permanently lit as a city of peace and human rights,” said Jón Gnarr, Mayor of Reykjavík City.

YOKO ONO is an internationally acclaimed musician and conceptual artist. She has strong ties to Reykjavík through her work of art IMAGINE PEACE TOWER. The basic idea of  IMAGINE PEACE TOWER is drawn from the common and intertwined careers of JOHN LENNON and YOKO ONO and is about the international message of peace delivered through arts.  IMAGINE PEACE TOWER also serves as a memorial to JOHN LENNON.

IMAGINE PEACE TOWER was set up on Videy island in Reykjavík with the support of Reykjavík City. The light of  IMAGINE PEACE TOWER was first lit on October 9th in 2007 and shines every year from JOHN LENNON's birthday until December 8th, the day of his passing.  IMAGINE PEACE TOWER has drawn international attention and recognition to Reykjavík and events connected to it enliven Reykjavík annually and attract foreign visitors and world attention to the cause of peace.

In her annual visits to Reykjavík to attend the lighting of  IMAGINE PEACE TOWER, YOKO ONO has inspired the city authorities and the Icelandic public to campaign more for peace and human rights in the world.

The LennonOno Grant for Peace is awarded biennially to those who have worked for peace and human rights issues in the world and, from 2006,  Ono has made Reykjavík the home of the Peace Awards.  Last year Lady Gaga was awarded the prize for her campaign for increased human rights along with Rachel Corrie, Christopher Hitchens, John Perkins and Pussy Riot.

YOKO ONO was awarded the title Honorary Citizen of Reykjavík at a special ceremony and press event taking place at Höfdi House in Reykjavík today, October 9, 2013.

On the presentation YOKO ONO said.  "Thank you for making me an honorary citizen of Reykjavik. It is indeed a great honour. It gives me an immense encouragement to continue doing good work.

John and I believed in Nutopia, which would make all of us citizens of the world. But inside the world, there is a land of our hearts that is shining with warmth, truth and beauty  called Iceland. Each time I visit the land, I am reminded of what is essential and therefore most important in life. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being you."