THE family of the late John Hume are to donate his three world peace prizes to the people of Derry.
The former SDLP leader's Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King Award and Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize will be presented to mayor Brian Tierney today.
They will be placed on permanent public display in the city, with the Tower Museum or Guildhall suggested.
Mr Hume, who died in August last year at the age of 83, is the only person to receive all three accolades - considered the world's foremost peace awards.
They honour his lifelong work for peace, culminating in the Goody Friday Agreement.
After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize along with Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble in 1998, he was presented the Martin Luther King Junior Non-Violent Prize in 1999 and the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize in 2002.
While he is the only holder of all three awards, previous individual winners include Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
Mr Hume's wife Pat said her husband accepted all three awards with a "tremendous sense of honour".
"John accepted them in the name of all the peace-makers who helped nourish the peace process and all the people of Ireland, north and south, nationalist and unionist, who never wavered in their commitment to peace and reconciliation," she said.
Honoured in her own right for her work towards peace, she added that while Mr Hume worked in Westminster, Brussels and Washington, he always remained rooted in Derry.
"We believe it is right for the people of Derry to have the opportunity to share these peace awards. It is our intention to give the peace prizes to the Derry and Strabane council to be exhibited in a public place," she said.
Mr Tierney said it was an honour to receive the awards on behalf of the people of the city.
"As President Clinton rightly said, `he was Ireland’s Martin Luther King'," Mr Tierney said.
