Luxembourg Peace Prize

Press release:

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Luxembourg Celebrates the 9^th Annual Luxembourg Peace Prize

May 28^th 2021

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On Friday, 28 May 2021, peace activists from around the world will gather for the 9^th Annual Luxembourg Peace Prize ceremony. The 2020/2021 Luxembourg Peace Prize ceremony will take place as part of the Compassionate Leadership Summit on Climate, Health and Peace and the 5th Annual Transatlantic Dialogue conference at the University of Luxembourg. In keeping with the measures being taken around the world to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Luxembourg Peace Prize 2020 has been postponed to 2021. The distinguished peacemakers represent a diverse mix of Activists, Educators, Leaders, and Artists from all corners of the globe in ten categories.

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Luxembourg Peace Prize Laureates of 2020

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Outstanding Peace Activists

Dr Scilla Elworthy Turns vision into action: Today her full attention is on developing Business Plan for Peace resulting from her 2017 book The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World without War.

Dr William Vendley Is the Secretary General Emeritus of Religions for Peace International, the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition advancing common action for peace by working to advance multi-religious consensus on positive aspects of peace as well as concrete actions to stop war, help eliminate extreme poverty and protect the earth.

Outstanding Peace Education

Transatlantic Dialogue The TAD conference series on global citizens, held in Luxembourg since 2008 as a collaborative effort between University of Luxembourg and Miami University in Ohio as well as numerous international partner organizations and institutions, explores the significance of culture and liberal education for fostering global citizenship from both the United States and European perspectives.

Outstanding Youth Peace Maker

Boniface Mwangi Is one of the most vocal and courageous Kenyans of our generation. Recognized globally for his passion and excellence in photography, this photographer-cum-activist could not resist the call to activism after witnessing, first-hand, the brutality that disadvantaged Kenyans experienced in the wake of the Post- Election Violence of 2008.

Outstanding Peace Organization

Words Heal the World Is a non-profit organization that was set up to empower students to challenge online hate speech and tackle different types of extremism. It is worldwide organization that puts young people as main actors in the development of messages to tackle different types of extremism and also helps increase the visibility of partner organizations that promote peace worldwide.

Outstanding Peace Technology

Libby Lui Was at the helm of Radio Free Asia (RFA) for 16 years, a non-profit created to provide accurate, timely news to citizens living in closed societies through Asia. Libby’s principles at RFA were enshrined in Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Outstanding Peace Journalism

Steve Youngblood Is a Kansas City, USA area professor and Director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism and Associate Professor of Communications at Park University (Parkville, Missouri). He has taught peace journalism to journalists, academics, and students in 27 countries and territories worldwide, including conflict areas like South Sudan, Indian-administered Kashmir, Lebanon, Cameroon, and Turkey.

Outstanding Art for Peace

Pedro Reyes Is a Mexican artist whose works aim to increase individual or collective agency in social, environmental, political or educational situations. He has won international attention for large-scale projects that address current social and political issues. Through a varied practice utilizing sculpture, performance, video, and activism, Reyes explores the power of individual and collective organization to incite change through communication, creativity, happiness, and humor.

Outstanding Environmental Peace

Water Peace Security Water, Peace and Security (WPS) partnership was founded in 2018 to pioneer the development of innovative tools and services that help identify and address water-related security risks. These tools and services can link hydrological, social, economic and political factors to pinpoint changes in short-term water availability and provisionally assess their potential impacts on society.

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About the Schengen Peace Foundation, World Peace Forum and Luxembourg Peace Prize

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For the ninth consecutive year, the Schengen Peace Foundation and the World Peace Forum will be awarding the prestigious Luxembourg Peace Prize to outstanding peacemakers and activists in Luxembourg. The award comes in alignment with the efforts of the Schengen Peace Foundation, founded in 2005, and approved in 2007 by His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri, as a Peace-Think-Tank, supporting peacebuilding. In the ‘Spirit of Schengen,’ the Schengen Peace Foundation initiated the World Peace Forum, a global platform for peace activists and peace initiatives. The annual multi-disciplinarian event of the World Peace Forum connects peace activists from around the world to meet, exchange ideas and together achieve greater impact.

In 2012, the Luxembourg Peace Prize was first introduced as an award to outstanding peacemakers. Laureates first received a bronze medal depicting Nelson Mandela. Since 2017, Laureates received a sculpture of a three legged chair by the Columbian artist Duvan Lopez, for which we are the fourth leg of the chair at the table to build peace. There will be an inauguration of the original statue with Duvan in the Learning Center of the University as part of the ceremony on May 28^th 2021.

The 2020/2021 Luxembourg Peace Prize ceremony will take place as part of the Compassionate Leadership Summit on Climate, Health and Peace & 5^th Transatlantic Dialogue conference at the University of Luxembourg. https://tad20.uni.lu The morning will be comprised of awarding the laureates and in the afternoon we will have workshops and networking with the different peacemakers.

For additional information on the Luxembourg Peace Prize, the World Peace Forum, or the Schengen Peace Foundation please visit www.LuxembourgPeacePrize.org and http://worldpeaceforum.org

The sculpture by ‘Duván’:

The conceptual origin of the Cadira per la Pau sculpture can be found in the peace talks in Colombia that date back to 1999. These peace talks were held between the Colombian National Government, at that time under the presidency of Andrés Pastrana, and a representative of the armed groups belonging to the guerrilla organizations. At that meeting where the two parties in conflict were to appear, the representative of the armed groups did not attend, so a chair was left empty, this chair of the guerrilla leader who did not attend the meeting. The episode was known as, “The Empty Chair”. The impossibility of reaching an agreement and peace once again led Duván López to take these events as triggers for the creation of the sculpture. “Today peace has no chair although it may seem so from afar… and so we continue with an empty chair of will to speak about Peace.” (Duván)

Duván López Yepes,Colombian painter, sculptor and poet, Quimbaya, Quindío * 1954 – …

For further Information:

Vicki Hansen

World Peace Forum Luxembourg Chapter President &

Head of Luxembourg Peace Prize Committee

Vicki.Hansen@WorldPeaceForum.org

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Download data: 5th LPP_TAD’20 leaflet