Sunhak Peace Prize - History and Past Laureates

T he Sunhak Peace Prize was established in 2014 at the suggestion of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, to continue the legacy left by her husband, the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who dedicated his entire life toward realizing world peace, prosperity and coexistence, where humankind thrives as “One Family Under God.” The Sunhak Peace Prize is awarded every two years to individuals and organizations that make significant contributions to peace and welfare in order to recognize individuals who willingly sacri- ficed themselves for peace, and praise them for their works, thereby lighting the beacon of hope that will shine upon each person on earth who yearns for world peace. The Sunhak Peace Prize advocates the following three objectives aiming to realize a sustainable and peaceful world in the 21st century: “Respect for Human Development,” which seeks to solve the problems of poverty, disease, and ignorance and respect human rights and dignity of every human being; “Conflict Resolution,” which aims to peacefully resolve conflicts between people of differing religions, races, and nationalities; and “Ecological Conservation,” which seeks to find solutions to climate change and the depletion of natural resources to create a sustainable balance between the natural and human worlds. ​

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Past Laureates

T he inauguration of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee was held on August 28, 2015, the first Sunhak Peace Prize Award Ceremony, which was given to individuals and organizations that contributed to the peace and welfare of future generations, was held at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul. The first co-laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize were President Anote Tong of Kiribati (63) and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta (76) of India. Former President Anote Tong, who was in office at the time of the award, was recognized for his dedication and passionate leadership that helped to bring about a consensus by the international community concerning climate peace. Dr. Gupta was highly praised for his efforts to develop low- cost aquaculture methods to increase fish production, which created a possible solution that can overcome the food crises due to the anticipated population explosion and impact of climate change. The award ceremony was attended by more than ten former presidents and prime ministers, 20 African VIPs and business leaders, and more than 1,000 people representing international relations, politics, government, academia, media, and religion.

REMARKS UPON ACCEPTANCE

< Anote Tong, Former President of Kiribati > This award from an organization outside the formal authority of the United Nations (UN) sends a very positive signal that those in this global community are equally committed to finding a solution to a globally destabilizing threat such as climate change.

< Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta > The Sunhak Peace Prize gives me added energy to pursue my lifetime goal of contributing to a peace- ful society by alleviating hunger and poverty. I am grateful to all those in different parts of the world who helped me in my work.

(From left) President Anote Tong and Dr. Vijay Gupta Modadugu, co-recipients of the first Sunhak Peace Prize, Taking a commemorative photo after the award ceremony.

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T he second Sunhak Peace Prize Award Ceremony was held at Lotte Hotel in Jamsil on 1.7 by the heavenly calendar on the 5th year of CIG (February 3, 2017). The second Sunhak Peace Prize co-laureates were Italian surgeon Gino Strada (68) and Afghan female educator Sakena Yacoobi (66). Dr. Gino Strada was highly praised for his achievements in saving lives by providing free-of- charge medical treatment to 9 million people in war-torn countries worldwide over the past 28 years. Dr. Sakena Yacoobi was recognized for her significant contributions to educating 13 million people in war-torn Afghan refugee villages and offering solutions for refugee resettlement. President Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati, gave the congratulatory address at the award ceremony, which was attended by current and former presidents and vice presidents and more than 800 people representing the political, academic, business, media, and religious fields.

REMARKS UPON ACCEPTANCE

< Dr. Gino Strada > I am honored to receive the award. On the one hand, I was surprised because I didn’t know there was interest and knowledge of what we do in Korea. I think it is significant to give awards for peace. I hope that instead of simply talking about peace, we will strive to put it into practice and put it into action.

< Dr. Sakena Yacoobi > I am excited and happy to be chosen as a laureate. This year the Sunhak Peace Prize focuses on the global refugee crisis. Globally, if all are educated and have equal opportunities for a holistic educational system, you can overcome poverty and disease. Then, there is no war. We need to look at the situation deeply and remember that we are all humans created equally by God. We must share and collaborate to make this world a better place for everyone.

(From left) Dr. Gino Strada andDr. Sakena Yacoobi, co-recipients of the 2nd Seonhak Peace Prize, Celebrating the 2nd Sunhak Peace Prize Awards (music director Park Kalin and musical actor Choi Jae-rim)

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T he third Sunhak Peace Prize Award Ceremony was held at the Lotte Hotel Crystal Ballroom in Jamsil on February 9, 2019. And the co-laureates were Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (58) and Waris Dirie (53). Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has been a leader in African agricultural innovation for over 30 years, significantly improving Africa’s food security, and was greatly recognized for establishing agricultural policies with good governance. Waris Diri is a pioneering human rights activist who fought to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) and was highly credited for helping save hundreds of millions of young girls from FGM, contributing significantly to passing a resolution to ban its practice. The awards ceremony was attended by many international figures, including ten former and current heads of state, 20 African VIPs and business people, and a total of 1,000 people representing political, academic, business, media, and religious fields.

REMARKS UPON ACCEPTANCE

< Dr. Akinwumi Adesina > I wish to commend the founder, Dr. Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon, for setting up the Sunhak Peace Prize to recognize work to improve the world. The world cannot plow with guns, and beans and rice seeds are needed more than bullets. Seeds give life. Bullets end life. Like the Bible verse from Isaiah, “and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,” it is time to start solving hunger by becoming a government with no war.

< Waris Diri > I am glad I came to Korea. It is truly a beautiful country. I am grateful to the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee for selecting me as a laureate. I have worked to end violence against women and children, including the ban on female genital mutilation. The purpose and direction of my work are to improve the lives of Africans through education. I am struggling to achieve this, and the foundation I have created is working hard to accomplish this.

(From left) Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), and human rights activist Waris Diri, co-recipient of the 3rd Sunhak Peace Prize Awards, A commemorative photo of the Little Angels members and the recipients who performed the celebratory performance

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T he fourth Sunhak Peace Prize Ceremony was held at KINTEX in Ilsan on 1.12 by the heav- enly calendar in the 8th year of CIG (February 5, 2020). This time, the Founders’ Award was specially established to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founder’s birth, and it was presented to Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations. President Macky Sall of Senegal and Bishop Munib A. Younan, former chair of the Lutheran World Federation, were selected as co-laureates. The ceremony was attended by a large international audience, including former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, former and current heads of state, African leaders and entrepreneurs, former and current chairs and members of parliament, and over 5,000 people representing the politi- cal, academic, business, media, and religious fields.

REMARKS UPON ACCEPTANCE

< Bishop Munib A. Younan > I humbly stand here as a servant of God to accept this Sunhak Peace Prize. I want to thank Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, the founder of the Sunhak Peace Prize, and your late husband, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, for your vision of peace as “one family under God.” St. Paul has written: “For he is our peace; in his flesh, he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall that is the hostility between us.” “In Christ, God was reconciling the world to God’s self, not counting the trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the ministry of reconciliation.” For this reason, I am called for this ministry or rec- onciliation, for there can be no peace without justice and no reconciliation without forgiveness. Therefore, I will continue to work for peace based on justice until the last breath of my life.

< President Macky Sall, Former President of Senegal > The health situation, which has put the international community in a state of emergency, led me to cancel the trip to Seoul I was preparing for. With deep reverence, I salute the memory of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, whose centenary we celebrate this year. It is with humility that I accept this prize because this award is not an end in itself but an encouragement to persevere in the culture of peace and human kinship. That is why, in agreement with the African Union Commission, I have decided to donate the entire amount of 500,000 USD of the Sunhak Peace Prize to the peace fund of the African Union. I hope for this to promote efforts to realize peace continentally. As a laureate of the Sunhak Peace Prize, this is why I will endeavor to stay faithful to the ideal that unites us.

< Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon > It is a great honor to stand here before you today, and I humbly receive this Fourth Sunhak Peace Prize. The critical efforts by the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation are essential as we collectively strive to expand fundamental understanding, cooperation, and tolerance on the road to world peace and global sustainability. In this connection, I couldn’t be more proud to receive this award to further the ideals of such a pioneering individual who firmly believed in the importance of peace, human development, coexistence, and environmental protection. My deepest gratitude goes to the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation members for this special honor and recognition of my modest contribution to world peace and development. Thank you very much again.

(From left) Bishop Munib A. Younan, former chairman of the Lutheran World Federation, co-recipient of the 4th Sunhak Peace Prize Awards, Senegalese President Macky Sall, co-recipient of the 4th Sunhak Peace Prize Awards, Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon awarded the Founder’s Special Award

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O n 1.1 by the heavenly calendar in the 10th year of CIG (February 12, 2022), the fifth Sunhak Peace Prize Award Ceremony was held at the HJ Global Art Center in Gyeonggi Province as an online and an in-person event in compliance with the Covid-19 social distancing quarantine guidelines. The Sunhak Peace Prize provided simultaneous interpretation in 16 languages for overseas participants. The fifth Sunhak Peace Prize focused on vaccine equality during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The co-laureates were Dr. Dame Sarah Catherine Gilbert (59), professor of vaccinology at Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, and the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, founded in 2000. The Founders’ Award went to Prime Minister Hun Sen of the Kingdom of Cambodia, who has especially demonstrated outstand- ing leadership for the sustainable development of Southeast Asia.

REMARKS UPON ACCEPTANCE

< Dr. Sarah Gilbert > I hope that governments and international organizations will work together to ensure that next time we need to respond to a disease threat, we will be better prepared than we were in 2020.

< Gavi CEO Seth Berkley > Good health is the bedrock on which prosperity can be built. A child free from diseases is more likely to go to school. Their parents are less likely to take time off work to care for them through illness. A healthier society is wealthier, and from this prosperity comes stability and peace. Gavi has also em- bodied the spirit embodied by the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation since its creation in 2000. With UNICEF and COVAX, we have set a platform through which the world can ensure fair, equitable access to vaccines for every country and every population to end the pandemic.

< Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia > For me, this 2022 Sunhak Peace Prize is not something that I did alone. Many others also deserve to share this prize for supporting my effort to build peace in Cambodia. From Cambodia’s experiences with wars and peace, I wish to emphasize that “No peace, No hope. No peace, No development. No peace, No respect for human rights and democracy”. And I share the same belief as Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon that “peace is concrete action, not a vague dream.

(From left) Dr. Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccine studies at the Jenner Institute at Oxford University in the UK, who developed the new coronavirus infection vaccine, co-recipient of the 5th Sunhak Peace Prize, with Gavi, who has led the fair distribution of vaccines, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen awarded the founder’s special award, A commemorative photo of the Co-recipient

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