Seoul Peace Prize
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Seoul Peace Prize
The Seoul Peace Prize was established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 24th Olympic Games held in Seoul, Korea, an event in which 160 nations from across the world took part, creating harmony and friendship. The significance of the Seoul Olympic Games rests in the fact that the games heralded the termination of age-old political and ideological conflict between the East and the West, fostering a worldwide atmosphere of peace and reconciliation. It also served as an occasion to confirm the possibility of achieving world peace through mutual understanding and cooperation. The success of the Seoul Olympics has a particular meaning to the Korean people whose yearning for peace has been born of an especially challenging history. The Seoul Peace Prize was established to reflect the wishes of the people and to crystallize their desire for ever-lasting peace on earth.
Sl | Name | Country | Flag | Year | Awarded For |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 | Tim Berners-Lee | United Kingdom | 2022 | for harmony and friendship | |
15 | Thomas Bach | Germany | 2020 | for harmony and friendship | |
14 | Narendra Modi | India | 2018 | for harmony and friendship | |
13 | Denis Mukwege | Congo | 2016 | for harmony and friendship | |
12 | Angela Merkel | Germany | 2014 | for harmony and friendship | |
11 | Ban Ki-moon | South Korea | 2012 | for harmony and friendship | |
10 | José Antonio Abreu | Venezuela | 2010 | for harmony and friendship | |
9 | Suzanne Scholte | United States | 2008 | for harmony and friendship | |
8 | Muhammad Yunus | Bangladesh | 2006 | for harmony and friendship | |
7 | Václav Havel | Czech Republic | 2004 | for harmony and friendship | |
6 | Oxfam | United Kingdom | 2002 | for harmony and friendship | |
5 | Sadako Ogata | Japan | 2000 | for harmony and friendship | |
4 | Kofi Annan | Ghana | 1998 | for harmony and friendship | |
3 | Médecins Sans Frontières | Switzerland | 1996 | for harmony and friendship | |
2 | George Shultz | United States | 1992 | for harmony and friendship | |
1 | Juan Antonio Samaranch | Spain | 1990 | for harmony and friendship |
Seoul Peace Prize Laureates (2030 ~ 2021)
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Tim-Berners-Lee.jpg)
Tim Berners-Lee
Seoul Peace Prize 2022
Sir Tim Berners-Lee is a scientist who particularly emphasized the importance of information, saying, “Data is the heart of the future.”
Sir Tim invented the World Wide Web(www) in 1989 made it available for free to people around the world, allowing the general public to use the Internet unrestrictedly, which was previously only used by experts and a small number of people. Because of this philosophy, he is being called a true digital giant.
The World Wide Web, invented by Sir Tim, is regarded as a technological revolution, a printing revolution, and an information revolution that has revolutionized our quality of life without space-time constraints in the 20th century.
He dedicated himself to resolving the issue of unequal access and use of the web, which not only causes inequality between individuals but also between companies, and between countries. In particular, he raises the issue of data monopoly of IT companies and suggests policies to realize an equal web while promoting data decentralization.
Tim Berners-Lee also stands by the belief that Internet access should be regarded as a lifeline and a fundamental human right. On this philosophical basis, he provided a platform for human coexistence through the World Wide Web, and by offering it for free, he left a message of true idealism and altruism.
For his philosophy and actions, Tim Berners-Lee is also regarded as one of the greatest philanthropists of the 20th century. His efforts guarded and expanded individual freedom and equality, which are universal values of mankind, thereby greatly contributing to the enhancement of common good of mankind.
Meanwhile Sir Tim also focuses on the emergence of negative effects such as hacking, counterfeiting, fake news, and information manipulation, which came about with the advancement of the web. Expressing concern about these negative effects, which were not issues to be much considered at the time of inventing the World Wide Web in 1989, he has been promoting the “Solid Project”as a solution to resolve them.
The “Solid Project”consists of building a open source based solid web environment that grants control over the use of one’s data, specifying where it should be saved, which individuals and organizations should be allowed access to selected data, and what apps should be used to access it, thereby allowing data sovereignty to users that provide their own information. Tim Berners-Lee opposes the monopolization of user data by a few large Internet companies that gain influence and profit from it. Maintaining that users should have control over their own information, he argues for data sovereignty on the web.
He is promoting a new human rights movement for Internet sovereignty, providing and controlling the use of one’s own data, as well as claiming the economic rights and gains that come from it in the digital era of the 21st century.
Further, he criticizes, among others, political manipulation, fake news, and the violation of privacy by those that seek to drive humanity into a digital dystopia. In this regard, Tim Berners-Lee announced the "Contract for the Web" that governments, companies, and individuals must abide by restoring the health of the Web, while urging the need for global solidarity to resolve these matters.
He criticised the abuse of fake news for political propaganda, and the restriction and control of Internet use to maintain the authoritarian regime. For that reason he argues data sovereignty to faster democratization. It is also recognized to promote democracy around the world.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee has greatly contributed to guarantee and expanding basic human rights, which include freedom and equality, freedom of the press, improving individual welfare and enhancing the quality of life through science technology. He is dedicating to promoting positive peace by removing structural constraints that threaten the personal data and data sovereignty on the web.
Seoul Peace Prize Laureates (2020 ~ 2011)
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Thomas-Bach.jpg)
Thomas Bach
Seoul Peace Prize 2020
Lighting a torch of hope for refugees through the Refugee Olympic Team.
Promoting respect for refugee rights through the Olympic Refuge Foundation.
Promoting harmony and friendship among states through vitalization of sports in developing countries.
Contributing to peace through sport by promoting (Olympic Truce.)
Contributing to the successful celebration of PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.
Contributing to peace through sport in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.
A persevering Olympic champion and IOC President.
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Narendra-Modi.jpg)
Narendra Modi
Seoul Peace Prize 2018
Indian Prime Minister Narendera Modi, the 14th laureate of the Seoul Peace Prize has contributed to the growth of the Indian and global economies, crediting 'Modinomics' for reducing social and economic disparity between the rich and the poor. He also has launched his initiatives to make the government 'cleaner' through anti-corruption measures and currency reform. Prime Minister Modi has made his contribution towards regional and global peace through a proactive foreign policy with countries around the world under the 'Modi Doctrine' and the 'Act East Policy.'
High Growth of Indian Economy by Modinomics
Ever since he assumed office in 2014, PM Modi has initiated a string of economic policy changes aimed at attracting foreign investment in almost every sector of the economy. 'Modinomics' have made India the world's fastest growing economy, surpassing the growth rate of major global economies and making it a prime investment destination.
Bold regulation reforms have been made to attract foreign investment in order to turn India into the manufacturing hub of the world. Under the 'Make in India' initiative, India has launched campaigns to promote development in 25 industrial sectors including automobile, railways, ports and shipping, IT, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, power, aerospace etc. The ultimate goal is to create 100 million jobs in the country by 2022.
Eradicating Corruption and Improving Welfare by Monetary Reform
Through measures such as Jan Dhan Yojana and Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme, PM Modi has given direct access and welfare benefits of the nation's financial sector to the poorest in the country. Prime Minister Modi has also launched the Clean India Mission, which aims to clean up the public spaces of India's cities, towns and rural areas. The construction of household-owned and community-owned toilets has greatly benefited the people of India.
Prime Minister Modi has focused greatly on the fight against corruption. Through his currency reform, he sought to move more people into the formal banking sector and economy and encouraged cashless transactions.
Prime Minister Modi has greatly contributed to the integration and inclusive growth of the Indian society and economy, as well the advancement of democracy under his 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Collective Efforts, Inclusive Growth) philosophy. This has also promoted friendly cooperation at the neighbourhood, regional and global level.
Contributing to International Cooperation and Regional Stability through Good Neighbor Policy
He has implemented the Neighbourhood First and Act East policies so as to nurture and give priority to India's relations with the immediate neighbourhood as well as with ASEAN and South Korea, Japan and Australia. At the same time, he has given due attention to advancing India's relations with the major powers of the world today.
Dedicating to Global Environmental Improvement
By championing the 'International Solar Alliance', a global partnership to scale up solar energy and reduce human dependence on fossil fuel, Prime Minister Modi has taken a leadership role in reducing global carbon dioxide emission. He received the 'Champions of the Earth' award for his efforts to eliminate single-use plastics in India .
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Denis-Mukwege.jpg)
Denis Mukwege
Seoul Peace Prize 2016
Dr. Denis Mukwege is a gynecological surgeon who is the founder and medical director of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He founded Panzi hospital in 1999 as a clinic for gynecological and obstetric care. Dr. Mukwege and his staff have helped to care for 48,482 survivors of sexual violence, counting up to 2015, victims to conflicts in DR Congo where mass rape was used as a weapon of war. He also contributed to the successful return of these victims to society as ordinary citizens capable of leading healthy lives.
Dr. Mukwege not only treats the physical wounds of rape victims, but also provides general rehabilitation programs to help them get back on their feet. 「Maison Dorcas」is an example of said programs. It doesn't just provide physical and psychological treatment, but also, educational, financial and legal services so that these patients may return to their local communities as healthy citizens. It contributes not just to the recovery of individual patients, but to the recovery of local communities and the restoration of peace in society.
Dr. Mukwege dedicates himself not just to medically treating sexual violence victims, but to preventing further victims by striking at the very heart of the problem. He condemns rape being used as a weapon of war, an inhumane strategy employed by armed forces in DR Congo to secure foothold and mineral resources. He spoke at the UN, advocating that those responsible for sexual violence be brought to justice, and asked the international community to help and actively intervene, raising awareness of these issues, through speeches and press interviews.
Dr. Mukwege has been fearless in his efforts to improve human rights and increase protection for women and children. He is praised as a defender of peace, as he continues to devote himself to ending these unjust wars and conflicts, despite threats on his life and his family.
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Angela Merkel
Seoul Peace Prize 2014
While serving in the UN from January 2007, Secretary General Ban has aggressively worked for the three goals of the UN, which encompass international peace and security, sustainable development and human rights improvement. These efforts have been made particularly at a time when the UN was faced with unprecedented challenges and crises in many fields such as international politics, economic and social globalization, and environmental challenges. In the process, Mr. Ban has been highly recognized from the international community for his outstanding leadership and achievements.
In the midst of the Arab Spring sparked by the Jasmine Revolution in 2011, Secretary General Ban actively fulfilled the UN's 'Responsibility to Protect' to prevent anti-humanitarian crimes including genocide. Through this effort, Secretary-General Ban could save the lives of many in the Middle East, while protecting human rights. Thus, he was praised as having made normative the Responsibility to Protect of the UN.
Under the principles of preventive diplomacy and support for forging world peace, Mr. Ban has made efforts to resolve conflicts and disputes by seeking the root causes of such issues. Through these efforts, he has made critically important contributions to democratizing Egypt and Libya, ending the civil wars of C^ote d’Ivoire and Yemen, and assisting in South Sudan s independence efforts.
In such efforts, Secretary General Ban demonstrated a combination of cool headedness and a warm heart during his leadership efforts around the world on behalf of the UN. In such global efforts, he successfully mediated a plethora of complex issues involving various nations and regions, achieving great progress in promoting the harmony of humankind around the world in the spirit of peace and harmony.
In addition, Secretary General Ban has consistently called on the international community to implement the UN Millennium Development Goals in order to reduce poverty and reform the economies and societies of developing nations, while successfully securing an assistance fund amounting to 60 billion U.S. dollars.
In particular, Secretary General Ban has advocated a global strategy to promote the health care of women and children and endeavored to increase aid for African nations where many people are still suffering from poverty. Through these examples, one could easily bear witness to the fact that Secretary General Ban has always put actions before slogans.
Secretary General Ban has also made great progress in reforming one of the biggest and most complicated organizations in the world?the United Nations, which represents the voice of the international community. He has continuously led unprecedented efforts to reform the UN so that it may be reborn as a more transparent, efficient and results-oriented organization.
Despite some opposition, in the spirit of greater transparency and fairness, Secretary General Ban introduced a system to disclose the assets of senior officials in the UN and established an ethics office to further enhance the moral standards of the UN. Under the motto of "Do more with less," he has persistently made efforts to cut budgets and boost managerial efficiency within the UN.
Secretary General Ban has thus shown his steadfast abilities in resolving complicated and difficult tasks using his soft charisma and communicationbased leadership.
Moreover, Secretary General Ban is the first Korean national to become the top executive of the UN and he was reelected for a second term. This achievement has helped to upgrade the national pride of the Republic of Korea and the whole world has begun to recognize South Korea as a home of many important world leaders.
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ban-Ki-moon.jpg)
Ban Ki-moon
Seoul Peace Prize 2012
Dr. Jose Antonio Abreu began teaching music to juveniles living in poverty in 1975 at a garage located in the slums of Caracas, capital of Venezuela, overflowing with violence, gun crime and drug abuse. It started out as an education and rehabilitation program for 11 juveniles, which included juvenile delinquents with 5 previous convictions. Dr. Abreu taught them to play music with instruments purchased out of his own pocket expense. Juvenile delinquents with previous convictions were surprised to be trusted with clarinets and other expensive musical instruments with faith. The only thing that Dr. Abreu asked of them was to hold those instruments in their hands instead of guns. He later sought the support of the Ministry of Welfare of Venezuela in order to expand the opportunity of education to many more Venezuelan juveniles of the lower-poor class, and this gave birth to the music arts education system for juveniles and infants known as 'El Sistema(The System)'.
'El Sistema' is a social movement that Dr. Abreu dreamed to realize. It states that an orchestra is the best example of an ideal society and that children are more likely to show positive changes in terms of adapting to society the earlier they participate in it. Its purpose isn't to select and raise talented kids and juveniles into successful musicians, but to free youngsters from crime and drug abuse. 300,000 infants and juveniles participated in 'El Sistema' during the past 35 years and 80% of them belonged to the low-income class of Venezuela. They learn and practice music for 4 hours a day in over 200 regional education centers located throughout the country and they have expressed that their daily activities switched from drug trafficking to something new and worthwhile.
Dr. Abreu also contributed to improving existing social welfare through 'El Sistema'. He helped kids in the streets to open eyes to their inner artistic sensitivity through an opportunity of education that they never had before, giving them a means to express themselves and hope for building a better life and future. Being part of an orchestra gave them a sense of belonging and the harmony they created through it lead them to embrace and respect one another as part of the team and society. The education that juveniles and infants received through 'El Sistema' changed their values and view of life entirely.
The orchestra performance of 'El Sistema' provided a place and opportunity for people of different classes to unite harmoniously in music, which in turn promoted social integration among different social stratumin developing countries such as Venezuela,where the gap between the rich and the poor is extremely wide.
Seoul Peace Prize Laureates (2010 ~ 1990)
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Jose-Antonio-Abreu.jpg)
José Antonio Abreu
Seoul Peace Prize 2010
Dr. Jose Antonio Abreu began teaching music to juveniles living in poverty in 1975 at a garage located in the slums of Caracas, capital of Venezuela, overflowing with violence, gun crime and drug abuse. It started out as an education and rehabilitation program for 11 juveniles, which included juvenile delinquents with 5 previous convictions. Dr. Abreu taught them to play music with instruments purchased out of his own pocket expense. Juvenile delinquents with previous convictions were surprised to be trusted with clarinets and other expensive musical instruments with faith. The only thing that Dr. Abreu asked of them was to hold those instruments in their hands instead of guns. He later sought the support of the Ministry of Welfare of Venezuela in order to expand the opportunity of education to many more Venezuelan juveniles of the lower-poor class, and this gave birth to the music arts education system for juveniles and infants known as 'El Sistema(The System)'.
'El Sistema' is a social movement that Dr. Abreu dreamed to realize. It states that an orchestra is the best example of an ideal society and that children are more likely to show positive changes in terms of adapting to society the earlier they participate in it. Its purpose isn't to select and raise talented kids and juveniles into successful musicians, but to free youngsters from crime and drug abuse. 300,000 infants and juveniles participated in 'El Sistema' during the past 35 years and 80% of them belonged to the low-income class of Venezuela. They learn and practice music for 4 hours a day in over 200 regional education centers located throughout the country and they have expressed that their daily activities switched from drug trafficking to something new and worthwhile.
Dr. Abreu also contributed to improving existing social welfare through 'El Sistema'. He helped kids in the streets to open eyes to their inner artistic sensitivity through an opportunity of education that they never had before, giving them a means to express themselves and hope for building a better life and future. Being part of an orchestra gave them a sense of belonging and the harmony they created through it lead them to embrace and respect one another as part of the team and society. The education that juveniles and infants received through 'El Sistema' changed their values and view of life entirely.
The orchestra performance of 'El Sistema' provided a place and opportunity for people of different classes to unite harmoniously in music, which in turn promoted social integration among different social stratumin developing countries such as Venezuela,where the gap between the rich and the poor is extremely wide.
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Suzanne-Scholte.jpg)
Suzanne Scholte
Seoul Peace Prize 2008
Ms. Scholte was born in 1959 in Norwork, Connecticut and majored in English Literature at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
From the college days, Ms. Scholte has shown keen interests in social issues and taken part in a number of volunteer activities. After starting her career as an adviser to a U.S. legislator, she became the president of the Defense Forum Foundation. Since then, as a human rights activist, she has been full-fledgedly engaged in a wide variety of activities to promote the human rights conditions of the underprivileged across the world.
From 1996, Ms. Scholte began to actively work for the improvement of the human rights situations facing North Koreans after hearing about the atrocities facing the people of North Korea from those who fled the oppression of the dictatorial regime. In April 1999, Ms. Scholte organized the first U.S. Senate hearing on North Korea’s political prison camps. Ever since, she has revealed and made testimony to the human rights realities in North Korea and the miserable conditions facing the North Korean defectors in China, raising the international community’s awareness of the human rights violations facing North Koreans.
In 2003, in particular, she hosted the appearance of Mr. Jang-Yop Hwang, former secretary of the North Korean Labor Party, on Capital Hill, playing a key role in getting the realities of the Kim Jong-il regime across the United States and the rest of the world.
These continued efforts of Ms. Scholte to improve the human rights conditions of the North Korean people played a decisive role in achieving the unanimous passage of the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004 in the U.S. Congress.
Ms. Scholte chaired and organized the first North Korea Freedom Day in 2004 in Washington, D.C. to disclose the realities of the human rights conditions in North Korea and call for their improvement. Since then, this event has been held continuously.
In addition, North Korea Freedom Week 2006 organized by Ms. Scholte greatly helped to expose to the international community the North Korean regime’s involvement with abducting citizens of Japan and its continuous holding of POWs from the Korean War.
In an effort to protest against the repatriation of North Korean refugees hiding in China to North Korea, Ms. Scholte conducted a campaign to wear rubber bracelets with a slogan of ‘Freedom to North Koreans’ during the 2008 Summer Olympics Games held in Beijing, once again helping to heighten the international awareness of the North Korean human rights issues.
As mentioned before, Ms. Scholte’s human rights activities are not confined to North Korea and North Korean defectors. From the humanitarian point of view, she has been deeply interested in the plight facing the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara and made a petition to the U.N. General Assembly so that the U.N. could address the issue of the Sahrawi refugees and a referendum on their self-determination, which was an indispensable contribution to helping the world understand the seriousness of the situations facing the Sahrawi people.
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Muhammad-Yunus.jpg)
Muhammad Yunus
Seoul Peace Prize 2006
Born in Chittagong, Bangladesh in 1940, Dr. Yunus graduated from Dhaka University and subsequently obtained a doctorate in economics from Vanderbilt University in the United States as a Fulbright scholar. He was teaching at the University of Chittagong as a professor of economics when he was beset by deep skepticism, as he found himself powerless as an economist in the face of the economic plight of his fellow Bangladeshis. He decided to devote his life to fighting poverty.
Dr. Yunus realized that the poverty of his fellow countrymen was not because of their laziness but due to social institutions, which made it impossible to borrow money without collateral. So he developed the epoch-making microcredit system, which has enabled tens of millions of poor people in Bangladesh and many other parts of the world to embark on life-transforming income-generating activities with small sums of money they borrowed without collateral.
Dr. Yunus champions capitalism, free enterprise, small government and individual liberty. He knows from experience that everyone is endowed with an innate ability to overcome poverty, and believes that efforts should be made to help develop such ability. He regards credit as a human right. Dr. Yunus also believes that women and homemakers more acutely feel poverty. So he decided to lend money primarily to women, who he thought should also hold the key to fighting poverty.
Today, about 96 percent of the borrowers of the Grameen Bank are women. And this has brought about amazing results. By empowering women as a major player of economic activities, he also helped enhance the status of women in a traditionally male-dominant society. The microcredit movement, initiated by Dr. Yunus, has been called a “revolutionary” method in fighting poverty, and has been adopted throughout the world from Afghanistan and Pakistan to France, Canada and the United States. It was also introduced in Korea to help the urban poor and credit defaulters. The United Nations designated 2005 as the year of the microcredit to underscore its commitment to fighting poverty, which it considers a global issue, transcending national boundaries.
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Václav Havel
Seoul Peace Prize 2004
As leader of the intellectual dissidence, he served as a powerful catalyst in bringing about the collapse of Communism in central and eastern Europe. There is a saying which goes, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” When Soviet troops invaded and imposed hard-line Communist party control in Czechoslovakia after the Spring of Prague in l968, Mr. Havel did not remain silent, but stood against tyranny with unusual courage. With the pen alone, he kept protesting the iron-fist rule of the Communist regime, refusing to go into exile the way so many other writers and artists of his country did at the time. He said, “The solution to the situation does not lie in leaving it. Fourteen million people can’t just go and leave Czechoslovakia.” He spent the l980’s in and out of prison, writing plays that he could not see performed in his own country.
Mr. Havel soon became not only a hero of the Czech people but of their neighbors as well. His courageous action galvanized the dissident movement in other East and central European countries, and eventually brought about the collapse of the totalitarian system in Europe.
He became the first non-Communist president of his country since l948 and served his people for l3 years. He said jokingly, “If you want to see your plays performed the way you wrote them, become president.”
Today, Mr. Havel is a senior statesman respected world-wide. But he is not complacent. With his unswerving conviction about democracy and human rights, he uses his moral authority to condemn human rights abuses in Myanmar, North Korea, Cuba and anywhere in the world and urge the international community to act to remedy the situation.
In an article contributed to the Washington Post last June, Mr. Havel castigated human rights abuses in North Korea, and called on the international community to deal firmly with the Stalinist state.
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Oxfam.jpg)
Oxfam
Seoul Peace Prize 2002
Oxfam was established by the citizens of Oxford, the United Kingdom, in 1942 with the aim of helping the Greeks who were suffering under Nazi rule in the wake of the Second World War. It is one of the world's largest non-governmental relief organizations committed to building a "world without poverty and suffering."
Oxfam has worked to "identify the structural causes of poverty, and redress the social injustice and absurdity deriving from it" and the organization has assisted people to combat food shortages by "enabling them to grow enough to feed themselves, rather than by food aid." Oxfam, which has also helped many to start their won businesses through technical education aimed at self-reliance, was awarded the Seoul Peace Prize 2002 in recognition of its outstanding achievements in relieving people from poverty, plight and calamity.
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kofi-Annan.jpg)
Kofi Annan
Seoul Peace Prize 1998
Mr. Kofi Annan's first assignment with the United Nations was in 1962 when, at the age of 24, he became an Administrative Office and Budget Officer at the World health Organization(WHO). After that, other U.N. positions he has held include Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the former Yugoslavia; Assistant Secretary-General for Peace-keeping Operations' Director of Budget in the Financial Services; Deputy Director of Administration and Head of Personnel at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR).
Mr. Annan's remarkably varied United Nations career focused not only on questions of management but also refugee issues and peace-keeping. Based on a wealth of experience and expertise, he helped the U.N. to formulate new approaches to the complex uncertainties of a post-cold-war world.
Throughout this volatile period, he worked to strengthen the capacity of the Organization to undertake both traditional peace-keeping missions and multi-functional operations, and to shoulder new tasks in the area of international peace and security such as "preventive deployment." To cope with the dramatic growth in the number of operations, Mr. Annan also oversaw the creation of a "situation center" that monitors the peace-keeping operations around the clock.
Secretary General Annan has also carried out a number of sensitive diplomatic assignments, including negotiating the repatriation of over 900 international staff and the release of Western hostages in Iraq following the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1990. Last February, he made a visit to Iraq and reached an agreement with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein that ended the standoff over the U.N. arms inspections, averting the threat of another war in the Gulf. In addition, he made great contributions to the peaceful resolution of the conflicts and maintenance of security in locations such as the former Yugoslavia and Africa.
Most recently, Mr. Annan has been playing a leading role for the conclusion of convention for the International Criminal Court (ICC) which will administer justice on criminal acts against humanity including war crimes and genocide. Thus, his dedicated efforts continue even at this moment for the enhancement of world peace and harmony through the United Nations.
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Doctors-Without-Borders.jpg)
Médecins Sans Frontières
Seoul Peace Prize 1996
MSF was formally established as international non-governmental organization in 1971 and this year it celebrates its 25th anniversary. With its headquarters located in Paris, France, MSF is free of political, regional and economic influence.
MSF follows three founding principles of neutrality, impartiality and the volunteer spirit. It is now recognized as the world's largest relief activities for those suffering from war, natural disaster, disease and famine. It has an International Office in Brussels, Operational Centers in 6 countries including France, and Delegate Offices in 13 countries including Australia and Japan.
MSF maintains well-organized large-scale independent relief systems. It can supply relief materials and carry out aid activities within 24 hours anywhere in the world, even in the most remote regions.
Most MSF members consist of volunteer medical doctors and nurses whose number averages 2,900 annually. Its financial resources come from 2.7 million individual contributors across the globe.
MSF has thus far provided aid and relief to 70 countries and currently its medical aid teams are stationed for relief efforts in 35 nations including Rwanda, Bosnia and Chechnya.
Last year, MSF was the only non-governmental organization that dispatched aid personnel to flood-stricken North Korea in order to provide medicine and medical equipment, while trying to contain epidemics.
The Seoul Peace Prize Screening Committee make the highest recognition of the accomplishments of MSF. MSF is a manifestation of humanitarianism in action. Our Screening Committee strongly believes that MSF's contributions to the harmony of mankind and world peace well deserve the Seoul Peace Prize.
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George Shultz
Seoul Peace Prize 1992
In 1949, Dr. Shultz earned a Ph. D. degree in Industrial Economics from the Massachusetts Institute Technology. He taught at M.I.T. from 1948 to 1957, taking a year's leave of absence in 1955 to serve as a senior staff economist on the President's Council of Economic Advisors during the Administration of President Eisenhower.
In 1957, Dr. Shultz was appointed Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He was named Dean of the Graduate School of Business in 1962. From 1968 to 1969, Dr. Shultz was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. Dr. Shultz served in the Administration of President Nixon as Secretary of Labor for eighteen months from 1969 to June 1970, at which time he was appointed the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. He became Secretary of Treasury in May 1972, serving until May 1974.
From 1974 until his appointment as Secretary of State, Dr. Shultz was President of Bechtel Group, Inc. During this period, Dr. Shultz also served part time on the faculty of Stanford University. Dr. Shultz was sworn in on July 16, 1982 as the 60th U.S. Secretary of State and served until January 20, 1989. During this period, Dr. Shultz rightfully assisted successful U.S. - Soviet summit meetings and arms reduction talks in the 1980s. He has played a decisive role in ending the Cold War and rendering hope for the future. He is well known to be a major contributor to world peace.
Based on his firm belief in the philosophy of peace and anti-terrorism, Dr. Shultz acted on behalf of all peace-loving peoples at the time of the Korean Airlines incident in 1983. Dr. Shultz has visited the Olympic stadium on several occasions during the preparation period of the Seoul Olympics. And to ensure the successful hosting of the Games, he conveyed his firm resolve to former Soviet President Gorbachev and then foreign minister Shevardnadze that he would not overlook any outside terrorist activities at the Seoul Olympics and promptly received words of honor on this matter.
![](https://livinghumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Juan-Antonio-Samaranch.jpg)
Juan Antonio Samaranch
Seoul Peace Prize 1990
Ever since he was appointed as IOC member in 1966, Juan Antonio Samaranch, who became Vice-president of the IOC and finally President from 1980, has made a great contribution to fostering an atmosphere of true harmony, mutual understanding and peace all over the world through the promulgation of the Olympic ideal.
President Samaranch firmly believes that the Olympic games can help greatly to promote international understanding and rid the world of political, ideological and religious distrust and hostility. He has endeavored to strengthen the solidarity among NOCs. Owing to his efforts, the number of IOC member NOCs has increased from 143 to 167 during his presidency. This remarkable increase resulted from the efforts of President Samaranch himself, who visited during the past decade nearly all NOCs in the capacity of IOC president to expand mutual exchanges and cooperative relations among NOCs.
President Samaranch faced with the threat of a boycott of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad in Seoul following two politically tainted Games, responded with firm determination and countries which has no diplomatic ties with Korea to participate in the Seoul Games, including East-block nations. Thus, he has contributed greatly to the maintenance of world peace by ensuring that East and West could meet in the spirit of reconciliation to fairly compete shoulder to shoulder in Seoul.
Especially since the IOC designated Seoul as the host city of the XXIVth Olypiad, the threat of a boycott by communist countries, as well as terrorist threats and actions such as the downing of a Korean Air jumbo jet, all put Korea under stress, President Samaranch handled these situations with extraordinary good will, and even though the demand of the Olympic Committee of the Games was in contradiction with the Olympic Charter, he enabled a dialogue between the National Olympic Committees of both Koreas.
Thanks to President Samaranch, the Olympic Movement has increased its financial resources through the Olympic Solidarity Fund and ensured the fair and efficient distribution of those resources for the promotion of Olympism and its ideals. This is clearly seen in his having extended $10 million per year for the promotion of sports in less-developed countries.
President Samaranch has also created a special program to promote women's participation in the Olympic Movement. It was during his presidency that a woman came to be admitted to the IOC.
During President Samaranch's term of office, the IOC has been firmly resolved in preventing athletes from damaging themselves physically through drug use, and in safeguarding the spirit of sports. The IOC's struggle against doping has already had many concrete results. There was no hesitation in sanctioning even the most famous athletes when there was evidence of doping.
President Samaranch has confirmed the IOC's opposition to racial discrimination and has done much in lending an ear to the concerns and opinions of the African NOC's concerning apartheid in South Africa, as manifest in the important mediating role played by the "Apartheid and Olympism" commission created several years ago.
To conclude, in recognition of these and other endeavors undertaken by him during his term of office, President Samaranch, a man embodying all the ideals the Seoul Peace Prize strives to encourage, has been selected as its first recipient.