Dr. Gino Strada, a surgeon and activist providing medical relief for refugees, and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, an educator working with Afghan women, were selected as laureates of the second Sunhak Peace Prize.

The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee hosted the “Second Sunhak Peace Prize Award Ceremony” today and presented each of the laureates with a medal and $500,000 USD.

The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee (chaired by Il-Shik Hong, former president of Korea University) held the “Second Sunhak Peace Prize Award Ceremony” on the morning of February 3, 2017, in the Crystal Ballroom of the Lotte World Hotel in Jamshil, Seoul.

Dr. Gino Strada (68, Italian surgeon) and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi (66, Afghan educator for women) were selected as laureates of the second Sunhak Peace Prize.

The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee made an official announcement of the laureates on November 29, 2016, at a press conference held in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Gino Strada is highly regarded for his humanitarianism, transcending national borders. He has provided emergency medical relief to those in the epicenter of conflict throughout the Middle East and Africa over 28 years, saving 8 million lives.

Dr. Yacoobi was honored and awarded for developing an innovative solution to the refugee resettlement crisis through education, working especially in Afghan refugee camps.

Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, founder of the Sunhak Peace Prize, and Il-Shik Hong, Chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee, presented each laureate with a medal and $500,000 USD.

Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati, gave congratulatory remarks. Approximately 800 leaders, including current and former presidents, politicians, scholars, economists, journalists and religious figures, etc., from all over the world attended the event.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Gino Strada strongly appealed, “The broken lives of refugees urge us to reflect and ask us to take action. It is up to the world citizens to take action and move toward a world without war. Renouncing the logic of war and practicing fraternity and solidarity is urgently needed if we want the human experiment to continue.”

Dr. Sakena Yacoobi expressed, “We are currently living in a world in which we are judged by our religion, ethnicity, race and gender. When we overcome our hatred for one another and share love, compassion and wisdom, we provide humanity with an indestructible base for living in peace and harmony.”

Committee Chairman Il-Shik Hong said, “As a prize founded on the vision for peace to build ‘One Human Family,’ the Committee presents the ‘Refugee Crisis’ as its core theme for the 2017 awards. At a time when the global refugee crisis seems to be worsening by the day, these two laureates, who have devoted their lives to fundamentally rebuilding the lives of refugees through providing the most essential of our rights to ‘medical aid’ and ‘education,’ are the heroes of this era.”

Meanwhile, the celebration stage was arranged by musical arts director Colleen Park, with the theme, “Overcoming the Global Refugee Crisis with Love for Humanity.”

The collaborative performance, with musical actor Jaerim Choi, Colleen Park and the Korean traditional arts school Little Angels, created a fantastic harmony that highlighted the mood of the award ceremony.

The Sunhak Peace Prize recognizes and honors individuals or organizations that have made enduring contributions to peace and human development for future generations by awarding them with $1 million USD (Korean currency: 1.1 billion won)..... [See the original story]

“As a prize founded on the vision for peace to build ‘One Human family,’ the Committee presents the ‘Refugee Crisis’ as its core theme for the 2017 awards.” (Il-Shik Hong, Chairman)

The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee (Chairman, Il-Shik Hong, former president of Korea University) held its “2017 Sunhak Peace Prize Award Ceremony” on February 3 at 10 am in the Crystal Ballroom of the Lotte World Hotel in Jamshil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Dr. Gino Strada (68, Italian surgeon) and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi (66, Afghan educator for women) were selected as laureates of the second Sunhak Peace Prize.

The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee made an official announcement of the laureates on November 29, 2016 (local date), at a press conference held in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Gino Strada is highly regarded for displaying humanitarianism that transcends national borders. He has provided emergency medical relief to those in the epicenter of conflict throughout the Middle East and Africa, over the past 25 years.

Dr. Gino Strada was honored for his founding of the international organization, “EMERGENCY” in 1994, which operates over 60 emergency medical treatment facilities in 16 African countries, saving over 7 million lives.

Based on the principle that “the right to be cured is a basic and inalienable human right,” he has provided high-quality treatment to the poorest individuals in the world, thereby upholding their human right to medical treatment.

He also received signatures from the governments of 12 African nations as a promise to provide medical welfare to their citizens, promoted the awareness of human rights, and opened a Centre for Cardiac Surgery and professional treatment centers in the middle of the African desert.

Based on his firm moral and political position that “war cannot be justified for any reason,” he has been a proponent of the Anti-War movement.

Anote Tong, a laureate of the first Sunhak Peace Prize and former President of the South Pacific island nation, Kiribati, gave congratulatory remarks. Approximately 800 leaders, including  current and former presidents, politicians, scholars, economists, journalists and religious figures, etc., from all over the world attended the event.

Chairman Hong stated in his welcoming address, “Presently, as we face the largest number of displaced persons on the global level since World War II, the international community must make a transnational effort for the common benefit of humankind.” He added, “In order to create a world of lasting peace, the award’s founder emphasized the love for humanity that transcends divisions of race, national borders, ideology and religion, and campaigned for a world where we no longer need borders.”

He went on to say, “At a time when the global refugee crisis seems to be worsening by the day, these two laureates, who have devoted their lives to fundamentally rebuilding the lives of refugees by providing our most basic human rights to ‘medical aid’ and ‘education,’ are the heroes of this era. Through these humanitarian acts, they have presented solutions to the basic and fundamental crisis facing refugees.”

Former President Anote Tong asserted, “The Refugee Crisis requires a global response, and therefore, we must enhance the global effort through cooperation and coordination between all actors.”

Meanwhile, the celebration stage was arranged by musical arts director Colleen Park, with the theme of “Overcoming the Global Refugee Crisis with Love for Humanity.” The collaborative performance, with musical actor Jaerim Choi, Colleen Park and the Korean traditional arts school Little Angels, created a fantastic harmony that highlighted the mood of the award ceremony.

The Sunhak Peace Prize recognizes and honors individuals or organizations that have made enduring contributions to peace and human development for future generations under the banner of “Respect for Human Rights,” “Conflict Reconciliation,” and “Ecological Preservation.” The prize money totals to $1 million USD (Korean currency: 1.1 billion won).

The two laureates will have a busy schedule in Korea, including a special plenary lecture at the “World Summit 2017” international conference on February 3 (Friday) at 5:30 pm, following the award ceremony at the same hotel.