Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque

Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque
The International Tree of Peace (Slovak: Strom pokoja, Russian: Дерево мира, German: Der Friedensbaum) is an international initiative that originated in Slovakia. The project, created on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, was initiated by landscape architect Marek Sobola from Žilina, Slovakia. The main goal of the project is to promote a message of peace by planting a Tree of Peace on every continent. The project is claimed to aim at planting trees around the globe to draw awareness to the global environmental issue and to enhance the solidarity of the humankind. The initiative, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, is implemented by Slovak NGO Servare et Manere which has a Special Consultative Status within the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (UN ECOSOC). The project's motto is "Let's make love the lifeblood of this world" (Slovak: Urobme láskavosť miazgou tohto sveta).The World Map of Peace also World Peace Map, abbreviated to the Map of Peace, unites all individual Trees of Peace plantings into one global whole.
| Sl | Name | Country | Flag | Year | Awarded For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Luca Beccari | San Marino | 2025 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. | |
| 9 | Nataša Pirc Musar | Slovenia | 2025 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. | |
| 8 | Farah Pahlavi | Iran | 2024 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. | |
| 7 | Tsar Simeon II | Bulgaria | 2023 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. | |
| 6 | International Committee of the Red Cross | Switzerland | 2023 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. | |
| 5 | Edouard Fritch | France | 2022 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. | |
| 4 | Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII | New Zealand | 2022 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. | |
| 3 | Queen Margrethe II | Denmark | 2020 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. | |
| 2 | Lubomír Rehák | Slovak Republic | 2019 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. | |
| 1 | Zuzana Caputová | Slovak Republic | 2019 | Special contribution to international understanding and union through major efforts in implementing the Tree of Peace initiative. |

Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque Laureates (2030 ~ 2021)

Nataša Pirc Musar
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2025
Nataša Pirc Musar is a Slovenian attorney, author, and politician who made history by becoming the first female President of Slovenia in 2022, assuming office on December 23, 2022.Born in Ljubljana in 1968, her career is marked by a blend of media, public service, and law. She spent over a decade as a prominent journalist and news presenter for national and commercial television. She later served two terms as the Information Commissioner (2004–2014), gaining recognition for her work on freedom of information and data protection. She also held roles as President of the Joint Supervisory Body for Europol and President of the Slovenian Red Cross (2015–2016).A qualified attorney with a PhD in Law from the University of Vienna, she famously represented Melania Trump in high-profile legal cases. She ran as an independent and defeated Anže Logar in the second round of the 2022 presidential election. Her priorities include human rights, the rule of law, and climate issues.

Nataša Pirc Musar
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2025
Nataša Pirc Musar is a Slovenian attorney, author, and politician who made history by becoming the first female President of Slovenia in 2022, assuming office on December 23, 2022.Born in Ljubljana in 1968, her career is marked by a blend of media, public service, and law. She spent over a decade as a prominent journalist and news presenter for national and commercial television. She later served two terms as the Information Commissioner (2004–2014), gaining recognition for her work on freedom of information and data protection. She also held roles as President of the Joint Supervisory Body for Europol and President of the Slovenian Red Cross (2015–2016).A qualified attorney with a PhD in Law from the University of Vienna, she famously represented Melania Trump in high-profile legal cases. She ran as an independent and defeated Anže Logar in the second round of the 2022 presidential election. Her priorities include human rights, the rule of law, and climate issues.

Farah Pahlavi
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2024
Farah Pahlavi, born Farah Diba on October 14, 1938, in Tehran, is the former Queen and last Empress (Shahbanu) of Iran. She is the third wife and widow of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. She studied architecture in Paris before meeting the Shah and marrying him in December 1959.During her tenure, she became a highly visible figure, actively involved in social reforms, particularly in women's rights, education, and health. She was a major patron of the arts and culture, overseeing numerous charitable organizations and the establishment of institutions like the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. In 1967, she was the first woman in modern Iranian history to be crowned Empress.The Iranian Revolution of 1979 led her and the Shah into exile. Following the Shah's death in 1980, she has lived abroad, dividing her time between the United States and France, where she continues her advocacy work.
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Tsar Simeon II
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2023
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, born in 1937, is a singular figure in European history, having reigned as the last Tsar of Bulgaria (Simeon II) and later served as the country's Prime Minister. He ascended the throne in 1943 at age six upon his father's death, but his monarchy was abolished in 1946 by a communist-backed referendum, forcing him into a 50-year exile, primarily in Spain.In a dramatic return to politics, he came back to Bulgaria in 2001 and founded the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII) party. The party won a landslide victory, and Simeon was sworn in as Prime Minister, becoming the only dethroned monarch in history to regain political power through democratic elections in a different office. During his 2001–2005 term, his government's key achievements included Bulgaria's accession to NATO in 2004 and completing the necessary groundwork for European Union membership.He is still revered by many but is also a controversial figure due to legal disputes over the former royal estates.

International Committee Red Cross
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2023
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral, and independent humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1863 by Henry Dunant, its exclusive mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence, and to provide them with assistance.The ICRC is the guardian of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which is codified primarily in the Geneva Conventions. Its unique mandate, conferred by states, allows it to act as a neutral intermediary between warring parties. Key activities include visiting prisoners of war and detainees, tracing missing persons, reuniting separated families, providing medical aid and relief supplies, and promoting respect for IHL.Its work is guided by the seven Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality. The ICRC has won three Nobel Peace Prizes for its tireless efforts.

Edouard Fritch
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2022
Winfred Édouard Tereori Fritch is a French Polynesian politician, born on April 1, 1952, who served as the President of French Polynesia from September 2014 until May 2023.Trained as an engineer, Fritch's political career has been extensive, including multiple terms as a cabinet minister and several periods presiding over the Assembly of French Polynesia. He also served as the Mayor of Pirae for many years. He was a long-time associate of former President Gaston Flosse, even serving multiple times as his Vice President.Initially a member of the Tahoera'a Huiraatira party, Fritch later became the president of the newly established Tāpura Huiraʻatira party, which advocates for French Polynesian autonomy within the French Republic. His administration focused on economic development, infrastructure improvement, and advocating for the territory on global issues like climate change. He was succeeded by Moetai Brotherson in 2023.

Tūheitia Paki
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2022
Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII (born Tūheitia Paki, 1955–2024) reigned as the seventh Māori King (Kīngi) from 2006 until his death. He succeeded his mother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, continuing the Kīngitanga movement established in 1858 to unify Māori iwi (tribes) and protect land and sovereignty.Though the role is non-constitutional with no formal legal power, Kīngi Tūheitia was a pivotal figure in New Zealand, acting as a paramount chief for the associated iwi, primarily Waikato-Tainui. His leadership was defined by a focus on kotahitanga (unity), cultural preservation, and social advocacy. He was a patron of the largest Māori cultural festival, Te Matatini, and often met with state leaders, including King Charles III.Kīngi Tūheitia was a vocal advocate on key issues, notably holding a national hui (meeting) in 2024 to rally Māori unity against government policies he viewed as harmful to the Treaty of Waitangi. Upon his death, his daughter, Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō, succeeded him.

Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque Laureates (2020 ~ 2019)

Queen Margrethe II
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2020
Margrethe II (born 1940) reigned as Queen of Denmark for exactly 52 years, from January 14, 1972, until her historic abdication on January 14, 2024. She was the first Danish monarch to voluntarily step down in nearly 900 years, handing the throne to her elder son, King Frederik X.Having ascended the throne after a constitutional amendment allowed for female succession, she became a highly popular and modern monarch, maintaining the relevance of the royal house. Her personal motto was, "God's help, the love of The People, Denmark's strength."A polyglot with a background in archaeology and political science, Queen Margrethe is also a distinguished artist. Under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer, she illustrated Danish editions of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. She also gained renown for her costume and set design for ballet and theatre. Her long reign solidified her position as a symbol of national unity and continuity.

Lubomír Rehák
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2019
Ľubomír Rehák (born 1970 in Topoľčany, Slovakia) is a professional Slovak diplomat whose career has spanned several key international posts since he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1992.His extensive diplomatic activity includes serving as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Republic to the United Kingdom (London) from 2015 to 2020. Prior to this, he held ambassadorships in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and was the Head of the Embassy in Belarus. He also served as the Representative of Slovakia to the Political and Security Committee of the European Union in Brussels.In his domestic roles, he twice served as the Director General of the Political Section—Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic (MZVaEZ SR). Since 2024, he has been working in the Department of Analysis and Policy Planning at the MZVaEZ SR in Bratislava, following a term as Ambassador to Russia (2020–2024).

Zuzana Caputová
Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque 2019
Zuzana Čaputová served as the fifth President of Slovakia from 2019 to 2024, becoming both the first woman and the youngest person to hold the office at age 45. A lawyer by profession, her career was rooted in public interest and environmental activism.She first gained national prominence through a decade-long successful public campaign against the construction of a toxic landfill in her hometown of Pezinok, an effort that earned her the prestigious 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize.Her presidential campaign focused on themes of justice, fighting corruption, and upholding democratic and pro-European values. Her presidency was marked by a commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and environmental protection, including a push for climate change mitigation. She did not seek re-election, concluding her term in June 2024.
