New global peace prize announced

A new global peace prize was announced on Armistice Day

The winners of a new global peace prize were announced in London on Armistice Day, Tuesday 11 November.

The ‘Tomorrow’s Peacebuilders’ award attracted entries from 225 grassroots peacebuilding organisations in fifty-three countries. The shortlist ranged from youth peace projects in Israel and Palestine to post-genocide reconciliation in Rwanda. 

The inaugural prize was awarded to four projects. Centar za Izgradnji Mira in Bosnia was recognised for its post-war peace training for young people around Banja Luka, site of a notorious prison camp in the 1990s civil war. Uganda’s War Affected Youth Association won for assisting ex-child soldiers from Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. Dagropass’s prize was for its ‘zero violence’ and weapons collection campaign in post-genocide, pre-election Burundi. The fourth winner, United Nauro-Gor of Papua New Guinea, was included because of its efforts in preventing inter-tribal warfare.

Vahidin Omanovic (see above) of Centar za Izgradnji Mira travelled to London to accept the prize on behalf of his organisation. He told the Friend: ‘It is always motivating that there are organisations and people who see the importance of our work. This prize is a great reminder for us how much peacebuilding work is needed and also acknowledgment for our efforts to make divisions that exist in our country smaller.’

The prize was awarded by Peace Direct, which works with local, grassroots organisations to resolve conflict and build lasting peace.

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