The president of World Vision International, Dean Hirsch, will launch the very first World Vision International Peace Prize on this year's International Day of Peace on 21 September.

The first awards, open to organisations and individuals both internal and external to World Vision, will be handed over to winners on next year's International Day of Peace.

Consistent with World Vision's values as a Christian, community-based and child focused organisation, the Peace Prize gives particular consideration to nominees who mobilise children, youth and women in peacebuilding. The strongest nominations will demonstrate that their work is built on careful context and conflict analysis, and produce credible policy and advocacy influence that contributes to peace.

World Vision embraces conflict-sensitivity and peacebuilding, integrating it in all of its programmes of relief, development and advocacy. The Peace Prize elevates the work of peace, and honours people and organisations who are not celebrities in the public eye but who are critical bridge builders making a more peaceable and just future possible. Hidden stories of courage and competence in the pursuit of peace will be brought to the global stage and honoured.

The Peace Prize consists of two awards. A Peacebuilding Award recognises an agency or organisation that excels at integrating peacebuilding into relief, development or advocacy and that mobilises communities to build durable peace.

A Peacemaking Award honours an individual who takes risks and excels in the work of conflict resolution. This award is given for either bringing parties together to resolve a conflict or being a catalyst who engages peacemakers, mediators and people of moral authority into a peace process which brings hope that a significant destructive conflict can be resolved.

Each organisation and individual who is awarded the World Vision
International Peace Prize will receive both a monetary award and a medal with the Peace Prize designation. Local community-based organisations as well as global humanitarian and development organisations are eligible for nomination.

The Peace Prize is given in honour and memory of Steve Williams, World Vision's Senior Policy Advisor on Peace and Conflict, who died unexpectedly from heart failure in December last year, aged fifty-six. Steve brought vast experience in peacebuilding, conflict analysis, and policy analysis, and served as the co-convener of PaxNet, the World Vision global peacebuilding network.

He distinguished himself not only within World Vision but within the peace community around the world as one who integrated his conflict analysis and policy work, was committed in his personal, family and work life to work for peace and reconciliation, strongly supported programmes of Children as Peacebuilders, and was a great advocate for peace with justice.

"Steve worked tirelessly for peace throughout his life and his career.
We're pleased to dedicate this award to his memory-and to the many others who work with passion and intelligence, but often little recognition," says Hirsch.


On the web: www.wvi.org/peaceprize