Pax Christi International Peace Prize
Pax Christi International makes it a point to honour men and women who stand up for peace, justice, and nonviolence across the globe.
In publications and posters, Pax Christi International’s member organisations often tell the stories of well-known peace heroes such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, Franz Jägerstätter, and the martyrs of El Salvador.
But we do not look only into the past for our heroes. Pax Christi International awards an annual peace prize to a contemporary figure or organisation working against violence and injustice, usually at the grassroots level.
Pax Christi International is pleased to announce Concordia Social Projects as the laureate of our 2022 peace award. The organization is present in several central and eastern European countries, and works directly to help vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families.
Concordia works with an extensive network of volunteers to provide rapid assistance to children in need, based on the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Concordia has responded to the enormous need for aid in Moldova, as thousands of Ukrainian families seek refuge in the republic. Moldova is besieged by its own economic and social problems, with many children going hungry due to the summer drought and inflation brought about by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In honouring Concordia with the 2022 award, Pax Christi applauds and encourages the organisations work in helping children grow into healthy, well-informed, and responsible citizens. “Through leadership and the mobilization of volunteers, Concordia is changing the lives of society’s most vulnerable,” remarked Greet Vanaerschot, secretary general of Pax Christi. “Their work gives children and young people opportunity for a better life, one where their future is their own.”
In receiving news of the award, Markus Inama SJ spoke on behalf of the executive board, “For the entire Concordia team, this peace award means a great appreciation of their daily courage and commitment to improving the living conditions of children, young people and families in need.” He continued, “2022 is an exceptional year of crisis due to the effects of the Ukraine war in our project countries, especially in Moldova. Each and every one of our team deserves this great recognition for their hands-on mentality and empathy, which was especially visible and tangible during the refugee emergency aid on the Moldovan border Palanca.”
2021 Peace Laureate: Catholic Radio Network of South Sudan the Nuba Mountains
We are pleased to announce that the Catholic Radio Network (CRN) of South Sudan and the Nuba mountains is the recipient of the 2021 Pax Christi International Peace Award. The network connects community-based radio stations to share trustworthy news and promote civic engagement. It also provides valuable public education about the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and democratic processes, which are critical for the world’s newest country. It has a reach of upward of 7 million people across the region. Click here to read the full story >>
2020 Peace Laureate: Pacific Climate Warriors
Pax Christi International is pleased to announce that the Pacific Climate Warriors are the recipient of the 2020 Pax Christi International Peace Award. The award ceremony will be held in Auckland, New Zealand on 10 December, International Human Rights Day, in an event hosted by Pax Christi Aotearoa New Zealand and live streamed on the Pax Christi International YouTube channel.
The Pacific Climate Warriors (which is linked to the global non-governmental climate action organisation 350.org) is a vibrant network of young people who live in 17 Pacific island nations and diaspora communities in the United States, New Zealand and Australia. Their mission is to peacefully raise awareness of their communities’ vulnerability to climate change, to show their people’s strength and resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges, and to nonviolently resist the fossil fuel industry whose activities damage their environment.
2019 Peace Laureate
European Lawyers in Lesvos
Pax Christi International is pleased to announce that the European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL), based in Greece, is the recipient of the 2019 Pax Christi International Peace Prize.
One of the very few providers of legal assistance on the Greek island of Lesvos (also known as Lesbos, a focal point of mass immigration into Europe), ELIL was founded in June 2016 by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and the German Bar Association (DAV). These organisations represent the bars and law societies of 32 member countries and 13 further associate and observer countries across Europe, and through them more than one million European lawyers.
Since that time, along with a small permanent staff, almost 150 volunteer asylum lawyers from 17 countries have provided free legal assistance to more than 9,000 people, most of whom are from Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan. ELIL is the largest provider of legal assistance to asylum seekers on Lesvos and is the primary provider of legal assistance to unaccompanied minors who have been incorrectly registered as adults (over 500 cases in total) and asylum seekers in detention (almost 200 cases in total). In addition to other services, ELIL also helps reunite families by assisting with family reunification applications under the Dublin Regulation.
Peace Award Laureates, 1988-2018
2018
No Boundaries Coalition, a nonprofit organisation connecting several diverse West Baltimore (Maryland, USA) neighbourhoods focused on public safety, access to healthy food, accountability of elected officials and voter registration drives. In 2016, in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray, a young African American man who died while in police custody in April 2015, they published “Over Policed Yet Underserved: The People’s Findings Regarding Police Misconduct in West Baltimore,” which was ultimately cited by the U.S. Department of Justice and reported to the United Nations.
2017
ZODEVITE, the Movimiento Indígena del Pueblo Creyente Zoque en Defensa de la Vida y la Tierra (the Indigenous Movement of the Zoque Believing People in Defense of Life and the Earth) as representatives of a wider movement, MOVEDITE, composed of indigenous groups, that in recent years has waged a nonviolent campaign to stop fracking, oil exploitation and mining business in southern Mexico.
2016
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace of Pakistan and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan as representatives of the nonviolent struggle of the human rights community in Pakistan and for their clear and courageous stand against persistent patterns of violence and human rights violations.
2015
The Women, Peace and Security Collective for Reflection and Action in Colombia: for making visible and encouraging the essential contribution of women to peacebuilding in their country.
2014
Jesuit Refugee Service Syria for its outstanding dedication in providing emergency relief to Syrians since the war began in 2011 and for promoting peace and reconciliation among divided communities in the country.
2013
International Memorial Society, a historical and civil rights society in Russia, for its outstanding work in keeping alive the memory of the victims of political repression in Russia’s recent history and for its deep commitment to human rights in the country.
2012
Msgr. Dr. John Onaiyekan: Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria, for his efforts in promoting understanding between people of different faiths through dialogue in Africa, and particularly in his country, Nigeria.
2011
PONTANIMA: Interreligious choir from Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina, illustrating the peace-building potential of religions and the healing power music brings to people who suffer.
2010
Msgr. Louis Sako: Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk, Iraq, for being a prominent defender of Iraq’s endangered minorities and a staunch advocate of the difficult democratization and reconciliation process in Iraq.
2009
Ms. Justine Masika Bihamba: in Goma, North Kivu (DRCongo), for her work improving the lives of rural women, defend human rights and assist victims of war, especialy women who have been targeted by acts of sexual violence.
2008
Franciscan Dom Luiz Flávio Cappio: Bishop of Barra in the state of Bahia, Brazil, for his nonviolent action in favour of the fisher folk and river inhabitants endangered by the Sâo Francisco river transposition project, as well as to the local community itself that was so active in the movement against the river transposition project.
2007 The Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace in Tokyo, Japan, for its outstanding efforts to reveal Japan’s wartime crimes and its creation of the site of remembrance for peace, with a firm focus on the experiences of sexual violence against women in war and conflict.
2006
Ms Ogarit Younan: a founding member of the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights as well as the Arab Non-Violence Network, for her zeal in promoting non-violence and democracy through housing initiatives and publications.
Mr Rami Khoury: a Palestinian-Jordanian and veteran editor, columnist and reporter for the Lebanese English Language Paper, the Daily Star, for his work (among other things) as a member of the Brookings Institution Task Force on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World and a frequent lecturer on Middle Eastern issues at conferences and universities throughout the world.
2005
Jacques Delors: a French statesman and former European Commission President for his vision and contribution to peace and security on the continent, in addition to his efforts in strengthening Europe’s role in peace building around the world.
2004
Sergio Vieira de Mello: the Brazilian UN High Commissioner for Human Rights And UN Special Representative in Iraq, for being a champion of peace and human dignity worldwide and for giving his life to his work.
2003
Franjo Starcevic: for founding the Peace School in Mrkopalj, Croatia.
2002
Father Roberto Layson: (Philippines) for building a culture of peace among Christians, Muslims and indigenous people in an area of armed conflict.
2001
Eddie Kneebone: for promoting reconciliation between young Australians.
Ms Teesta Setavald: an Indian journalist and tireless campaigner for greater inter-religious dialogue in Asia.
2000
Ann Pettifor and Laura Vargas: from the United Kingdom and Peru respectively, for their work on the Jubilee 2000 campaign to cancel the debts of developing countries.
1999
The Clonard Fitzroy Fellowship: from Northern Ireland, for their Catholic-Presbyterian initiative to unite people in a divided community.
1998
Laurien Ntezimana and Father Modeste Mungwarareba: for training young leaders in Rwanda to be agents of reconciliation between ethnic groups.
1997
Father Domingos Soares and Maria de Lourdes Martins Cruz: for their work on education, development and dignity of people in poor communities in East Timor.
1996
Franjo Komarica, bishop of Banja Luka, Hadzi Halilovic, mufti of Banja Luka (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Jelena Santic (Serbia) and Gordana Stojanovic (Croatia) for promoting reconciliation amidst the hostilities.
1995
Janina Ochojska: founder of the Poland Humanitarian Action, for organising humanitarian relief convoys to Chechnya and the former Yugoslavia.
1994
Father José Mpundu E’Booto: from Zaire, co-founder of the Groupe Amos, for fighting against corruption and promoting justice, peace and democracy.
1993
Ray Williams and Dorraine Booth-Williams: from the USA, members of the Swinomish American Indian nation, for promoting the cultures and traditions of indigenous peoples in Central, North and South America.
1992
Joaquim Pinto de Andrade: founding member of the Popular Movement for the Liberation in Angola, for his advocacy for freedom and civil rights and for his contribution to the post-war reconstruction of his country.