Sunhak Peace Prize

The Sunhak Peace Prize is an award. It was established to continue the legacy of Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, and is given biennially in Seoul, Korea, in recognition of individuals and organizations that have made contributions to help resolve worldwide suffering, poverty, and threats to the environment.

Laureates are selected by the Sunhak Peace Prize Selection Committee, chaired by the former President of the European Commission and the first chair of the GAVI Board, José Manuel Barroso. The Prize is organized by the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation, chaired by Thomas G. Walsh.

The Prize is awarded by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), founded by South Korean Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han. Eligible laureates must be living at the time of the nomination in order to receive the award.

Purpose
The Sunhak Peace Prize is awarded to those acknowledged as contributors to peace and human development. It was founded at the behest of Hak Ja Han Moon, the widow of Sun Myung Moon, to honor his ideals and achievements as an alternative to the Nobel Peace Prize. It advocates for sustainable human development, conflict resolution, and ecological conservation.

History
In 2013, the establishment of the Sunhak Peace Prize was proposed by Mrs. Moon, with the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee being inaugurated a year later.

The first award ceremony was held in 2015 and focused on climate change and the food crisis. It was awarded to Anote Tong, the former President of Kiribati, who led a crusade against climate change, with particular focus on countries in the Pacific Region and to Modadugu Gupta, an Indian fisheries scientist who pioneered the aquacultural revolution.

The second award ceremony in 2017 highlighted the global refugee crisis and was awarded to two individuals: Gino Strada, a heart surgeon who provided free medical care for refugees and war victims, and Sakena Yacoobi, who spearheaded Afghan refugee education programs with a special focus for females.

In 2019, the third award ceremony placed emphasis on the worsening issue of global inequality. The award recipients on that occasion were Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina and Waris Dirie. The ceremony recognised Adesina for reducing poverty in Africa through the agricultural revolution. Dirie, a human rights activist, tried to raise the humanitarian concern of the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), and she assisted in passing a worldwide resolution to try to ban its practice.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the fourth award ceremony (2020) includes a Founders’ Centenary Award. Interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values are the "visions of peace". The Founders' Centenary Award was awarded to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The 4th Sunhak Peace Prizes are being awarded to President Macky Sall of Senegal, and former President of the Lutheran World Federation, Bishop Munib A. Younan of Palestine.

Awarded items
During the award ceremony, the laureate is awarded a medal and plaque and a monetary prize of US$1 million.