Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, brother of the late King Hussein, was awarded the 25th Niwano Peace Prize in Toyko, Japan on May 8th. Along with the certificate, the prince received a medal and 20 million yen. He was recognized for his efforts “to building peace with justice in the Middle East based on his understanding of human dignity informed and inspired by his faith…a bridge builder across existing political and religious divides.”The Niwano Peace Foundation was established in 1978 “to contribute to the realization of world peace and the enhancement of culture by promoting research and other activities, based on religious spirit and serving the cause of peace, in such fields as thought, culture, science, and education.”
The Niwano Peace Prize is “to honor and encourage those who are devoting themselves to interreligious cooperation in the cause of peace,and to make their achievements known as Foundation's hope that this prize will further promote interreligious cooperation for peace and lead to the emergence of ever more people devoting themselves to this cause.”
For more information on the Niwano Peace Foundation, visit the official website.
Photo: Petra