Founding the Sunhak Peace Prize

 "We must harbor the awareness that all people are our brothers and sisters. 

We must think of all the world's problems as our own and have the pioneering spirit needed to resolve them. 

A global citizen who embraces the world with love and lives for the sake of others will feel pain in his heart over the hunger in the world and will try to help others, 

even if it means sharing the food that is already on his spoon."

In honor of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his One Family Under God legacy of peace transcending racial, religious, and national barriers, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon established the Sunhak Peace Prize in 2013, as an extension of his work for peace.

Under Rev. Moon's vision of peace that "humanity is a family community comprised of successive generations," the Sunhak Peace Prize takes an expansionary view of peace for all of the humankind including future generations. While other awards for peace have taken a reactive approach focusing on issues that only concern the present time and awarding individuals and organizations whose activities are specifically tailored to contemporary issues, the Sunhak Peace Prize is an award of peace for the future generation.

Specifically, the Sunhak Peace Prize pursues peace based on three key pillars: sustainable human development, conflict resolution, and ecological preservation. The award ceremony is held biennially and has a prize pool of $1 million, which is given along with a medal and plaque for each laureate.

The first award ceremony (2015) focused on climate change and the food crisis and was awarded to the former President of Kiribati, Mr. Anote Tong, who led an international crusade against climate change, and to Dr. Modadugu Gupta, an Indian fisheries scientist who pioneered the aquacultural revolution. 

First Sunhak Peace Prize Laureates (2015) Mr. Anote Tong (top), former President of Kiribati, who led an international crusade against climate change, and Dr. Modadugu Gupta (bottom), an Indian fisheries scientist who pioneered the aquacultural revolution

The second award ceremony (2017) focused on the global refugee crisis and was awarded to Dr. Gino Strada, a heart surgeon who provides free high-quality medical care for refugees and war victims, and to Dr. Sakena Yacoobi who spearheaded Afghan refugee education programs with a special focus on girls and women. 

Second Sunhak Peace Prize Laureates (2017) Dr. Gino Strada (top), a heart surgeon who fought for the rights of refugees and war victims to medical care, and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi (bottom), who spearheaded the Afghan refugee education program with a special focus on girls and women

The third award ceremony (2019) focused on the worsening issue of global inequality and was awarded to Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina and Ms. Waris Dirie. Dr. Adesina greatly reduced poverty in Africa through the agricultural revolution and led Africa’s economic development through good governance. Ms. Dirie, as a human rights activist, raised Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as an international human rights issue and assisted in passing a worldwide resolution banning its practice greatly contributing to restoring the dignity of girls and women in Africa. 

Third Sunhak Peace Prize Laureates (2019) Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina (top) who presented a vision of good governance and implemented innovative agricultural policies that greatly improved Africa’s food security and Ms. Waris Dirie (bottom) who is a human rights activist against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) 

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the fourth award ceremony (2020) includes a Founders’ Centenary Award and focused on the core principles of the founders’ peace vision, interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values, in selecting the laureates. Interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values are visions of peace based on principles of appropriate possession based on one’s conscience, the political model of an extended form of family centered on God, and universal ethics centered on true love. The Founders’ Centenary Award is being awarded to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who has dedicated himself to leading the world toward sustainability. The 4th Sunhak Peace Prizes are being awarded to President Macky Sall of Senegal, a model of good governance in Africa, and former President of the Lutheran World Federation Bishop Munib A. Younan of Palestine, a pioneer of religious harmony. 

Fourth Sunhak Peace Prize Laureates (2020): Founders’ Centenary Award laureate former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (top) who has dedicated himself to a sustainable earth, President Macky Sall (middle) of Senegal who is a model of good governance in Africa, and former President of the Lutheran World Federation Bishop Munib A. Younan (bottom) who is a pioneer of religious harmony.