The shortlist of nominees for this year’s Tipperary International Peace Award has been released and includes four people and one organization.

Hillary Clintonand shot Pakistani school girl Malala Yousafza are among the nominees for the prestigious award.

Peace Convention secretary Martin Quinn said Clinton was an extraordinary Secretary of State.

"Throughout her tenure she has looked towards "smart power" as the strategy for asserting US leadership and values, combining military strength with US capacities in global economics, development aid, and technology," he told TheJournal.ie.

Established in 1983 to promote peace at home and abroad, the Convention’s principal aim is to “give recognition to those who promote the ideals of Peace and Peaceful Cooperation in the world.”

South African President Nelson Mandela, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, the late Senator Gordon Wilson from Enniskillen, and former US President Bill Clinton have all been presented the honor.

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Last year, former Irish president Mary McAleese and her husband Senator Martin McAleese were presented with the honors.

The winner of this year’s award will be announced on January 1, 2013, with an awards ceremony slotted for later next year inTipperary.

This year’s shortlist highlights individuals and one organization from an array of different backgrounds, but have made significant strides for peace in the past year.

The nominees for this year include US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Pakistani school girl Malala Yousafza, President of the Indian National Congress Sonia Ghandi, John Githongo who worked to fight fraud and corruption in his home country of Kenya, and Pax Christi International which works globally to promote just world order.