RHR Dedicates New Office and Celebrates Niwano Peace Prize

By Rabbis for Human Rights on May 19, 2006 - כ"א אייר תשס"ו

NiwanoAn Office Warming and Celebration of Receiving the 2006 Niwano Peace Prize took place on Wednesday, May 31 2006 at 17:30 in our office at HaRekhavim 9 in Jerusalem. Sharon Rosen, a member of the Niwano Prize Committee, shared remarks regarding the Niwano Foundation and the reasons why the Committee chose to 2006 award to RHR. All are invited.

The Niwano Peace Foundation awarded the twenty-third Niwano Peace Prize to Rabbis for Human Rights of Israel. The presentation ceremony took place in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, May 11th, at 10:30 a.m. In addition to the award certificate, Rabbis for Human Rights received a medal and twenty million yen.

Founded in 1988, Rabbis for Human Rights is an organization of Rabbis in Israel which promotes the Jewish value that all human beings are created in the image of God and entitled to justice, equality and respect. Dedicated to this core Jewish value, RHR defends the human rights of everyone in Israel and in the Territories under Israel control through public education, advocacy, and direct service projects. This unique organization of Rabbis and rabbinical students in Israel is committed to promoting human rights, justice and compassion for all the people in the region. In a critical moment in the Middle East and elsewhere, it is of great relevance to highlight such values that are at the heart of Jewish tradition but are marginalized for security.

To avoid undue emphasis on any particular religion or region, every year the Peace Foundation solicits nominations from people of recognized intellectual stature around the world. In the nomination process, some 1,000 people and organizations, representing 125 countries and many religions, are asked to propose candidates. Nominations are rigorously screened by the Niwano Peace Prize Committee, set up in May of 2003 on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Niwano Peace Prize. The Committee presently consists of eleven religious leaders from around the world, all of whom are involved in movements for peace and inter-religious cooperation.

The Niwano Peace Foundation established the Niwano Peace Prize to honor and encourage individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to inter-religious cooperation, thereby furthering the cause of world peace, and to make their achievements known as widely as possible. The Foundation hopes in this way both to enhance inter-religious understanding and cooperation and to encourage the emergence of still more people devoted to working for world peace.

»» Pride and Humility: Rabbi Ma’ayan Turner, (RHR Chairperson) accesptance speech at the Niwano Peace Prize Award ceremony

»» Peace and Religion: Rabbi Yehiel Grenimann presentation at the Symposium of Peace and Religion on the occasion of the 23rd Niwano Peace Prize award ceremony of the Niwano Peace Foundation of Japan, that awarded the annual prize to Rabbis for Human Rights

Rabbis for Human Rights»»Niwano Press Release [PDF ENGLISH 31 KB]
html»»Niwano Press Release [HTML ENGLISH]
Rabbis for Human Rights»» Why Rabbis for Human Rights was selected to receive the 23rd Niwano Peace Prize [PDF ENGLISH 40 KB]
html»»What is the Niwano Peace Prize? [HTML ENGLISH]
Rabbis for Human Rights»»Rabbis for Human Rights acceptance letter to the Niwano Peace Foundation [PDF ENGLISH 94 KB]
Rabbis for Human Rights»»Rabbis for Human Rights Press Release [PDF ENGLISH 27 KB]
Rabbis for Human Rights»»Rabbis for Human Rights Press Release [PDF HEBREW 102 KB]The Niwano Peace Prize

The Niwano Peace Foundation established the Niwano Peace Prize to honor and encourage individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to inter-religious cooperation, thereby furthering the cause of world peace, and to make their achievements known as widely as possible. The Foundation hopes in this way both to enhance inter-religious understanding and cooperation and to encourage the emergence of still more people devoted to working for world peace.

Past recipients are:

1. Archbishop Helder P. Camara (1983)
2. Dr. Homer A. Jack (1984)
3. Rev. Zhao Pu Chu (1985)
4. Dr. Philip A. Potter (1986)
5. The World Muslim Congress (1987)
6. Rev. Etai Yamada (1989)
7. Prof. Norman Cousins (1990)
8. Dr. Hildegard Goss-Mayr (1991)
9. Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne (1992)
10. Neve Shalom/ Wahat al-Salam (1993)
11. Paulo Evaristo Cardinal Arns (1994)
12. Dr. M. Aram (1995)
13. Ms. Marii K. Hasegawa (1996)
14. The Corrymeela Community (1997)
15. Ven. Maha Ghosananda (1998)
16. The Community of Sant’Egidio (1999)
17. Dr. Kang Won Yong (2000)
18. Rev. Abuna Elias Chacour (2001)
19. Rev. Samuel Ruiz Garcia (2002)
20. Dr. Priscilla Elworthy (2003)
21. The Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative (2004)
22. Dr. Hans Kung (2005)

The Niwano Peace Foundation

The Niwano Peace Foundation was chartered in 1978 to contribute to the realization of world peace and the enhancement of a culture of peace. The Foundation promotes research and other activities based on a religious spirit and serves the cause of peace in such fields as education, science, religion and philosophy. The Foundation’s endowment of about 3.8 billion yen makes possible the Niwano Peace Prize and such other activities such as grants, research projects, lectures, symposia, and international exchanges.

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