On the occasion of the International Day of Peace, the Public Peace Prize team is pleased to present the winners of the 2020-21 edition!
This award is the only distinction in the world focused on the recognition of people and initiatives working for peace, that are proposed, nominated and validated by the public.
This year, in spite of the uncertainties of the pandemic, nine (9) nominations proposed and supported by local teams met the requirements to be nominated as a finalist. They come from five (5) countries: Canada, Colombia, India, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Pakistan.
While they come from a variety of generations and cultures, on a daily basis these peacemakers are all rebuilding the broken bonds in their communities – misunderstandings, inequalities and tensions that are sometimes centuries old. They act through words, theater, human rights education; they set up economic empowerment initiatives for women and groups left to their own devices. Driven by strong convictions for the respect of all human life and the planet, these bearers of peace and justice transform the lives of thousands of victims of economic, social and cultural violence into an experience of human dignity and liberation.
For a third consecutive year, the Public Peace Prize advocates a more collaborative than competitive approach.
Below are the souvenir plaques that the winners will receive, each in their own language.
GUILLERMO MESA VELÁSQUEZ
Guillermo MESA VELÁSQUEZ, Salvatorian priest of the Society of the Divine Savior (SDS), was born in Medellín, Colombia and is known as the “shepherd who smells like sheep”. His life covers more than eighty years characterized by coherence and radicalism, his total dedication to humility, service, empathy, joy, solidarity and respect for autonomy, diversity, freedom and democracy.
DIGNITY and MEMORY MONUMENT
ANDRÉ JACOB
André JACOB, retired professor of social work, writer and peace and human rights activist, committed to fighting racism and discrimination against migrants and to establishing just relations with indigenous peoples
ARTISTS for PEACE (APLP)
Mr. AKHAND
Akhand is a social worker fighting for human rights in the state of Odisha, in Eastern India, speaking out for depressed, marginalized and vulnerable people.
MARCELINE BUDZA
Marceline BUDZA, a young woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is known for her work in defending human rights and empowering women.
Khowar Academy
The Khowar Academy is northern Pakistan’s initiative for peace, and for the promotion, documentation and preservation of endangered languages of Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Kashmir.
SHRUTI NAGVANSHI
Shruti NAGVANSHI is a women‘s and children‘s rights activist and advocate for marginalized groups in India, including rural women. She is one of the founding members of People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) and a founder of Savitri Bai Phule Mahila Panchayat, a women’s forum. She has worked with several other projects to empower minorities.
ARJUMAND ZAIDI
¡Con motivo del Día Internacional de la Paz, el equipo del Premio del Público por la Paz se complace en presentar a los ganadores de la edición 2020-21!
Este año, a pesar de las incertidumbres de la pandemia, nueve (9) nominaciones propuestas y apoyadas por equipos locales cumplieron con los requisitos para ser nominados como finalistas. Provienen de cinco (5) países: Canadá, Colombia, India, República Democrática del Congo (RDC) y Pakistán, y se presentarán en tres idiomas.
Estos artesanos y pacificadores, provenientes de diversas generaciones y culturas, reconstruyen día a día los vínculos rotos en su comunidad por malentendidos, desigualdades y, a veces, por tensiones seculares. Actúan a través del habla, el teatro, la educación en derechos humanos; pusieron en marcha iniciativas para el empoderamiento económico de las mujeres y los grupos que se dejaron valerse por sí mismos. Impulsados por sólidas convicciones de respeto a toda la vida humana y al planeta, estos portadores de la paz y la justicia transforman la vida de miles de personas víctimas de la violencia económica, social y cultural en una experiencia de liberación y dignidad humana.
Ellas Premio del Público por la Paz es la única distinción en el mundo en la que las personas e iniciativas que trabajan por la paz son propuestas, nominadas y validadas por el público.
The Public Peace Prize Website 
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