An Office Warming and Celebration of Receiving the 2006 Niwano Peace Prize will take 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, will offer brief 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

»»Niwano Press Release [PDF ENGLISH 31 KB]

»»Niwano Press Release [HTML ENGLISH]

»» Why Rabbis for Human Rights was selected to receive the 23rd Niwano Peace Prize [PDF ENGLISH 40 KB]

»»What is the Niwano Peace Prize? [HTML ENGLISH]

»»Rabbis for Human Rights acceptance letter to the Niwano Peace Foundation [PDF ENGLISH 94 KB]

»»Rabbis for Human Rights Press Release [PDF ENGLISH 27 KB]

»»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.

Recent Articles by Rabbis for Human Rights

• Yom Kippur Vidui - October 1st, 2008
• RHR helps families access burial plots - July 18th, 2008
• In Memoriam: Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev - July 15th, 2008
• Huqqat: Human Rights and a pure society - July 1st, 2008
• Shelah: Human Rights in a lush and bountiful land - June 15th, 2008
• Behar: Human Rights and Social Justice - May 16th, 2008
• Prayer for the State of Israel - May 7th, 2008
• Tractate Independence - May 1st, 2008
• Rabbi Ben Hollander zekher tzadik livrakha - February 10th, 2008
• Noah: Righteousness in Our Generation - October 15th, 2007
• Yom Kippur - September 20th, 2007
• Make Your Voice Heard: A Guide to Israeli Government Officials - July 22nd, 2007
• Parashat Vayechi - July 9th, 2007
• Yitro/Meira welt - July 9th, 2007
• JURY AND BEIT DIN - DEVAR TORAH FOR SHABBAT MISHPATIM - July 9th, 2007
• Dvar Torah - Parashat Va-Yakhel-Pekudei - July 9th, 2007
• Dvar Torah Parashat Vayikra - July 8th, 2007
• Dvar Torah - Parashat Shemini: When Words Fail Us. - July 8th, 2007
• Dvar Torah – Parashat Metzorah - July 8th, 2007
• Dvar Torah – Bamidbar - July 8th, 2007
• Dvar Torah - The Value of Peace As a Religious Goal - July 8th, 2007
• Dvar Torah – B’Haalotkha - July 8th, 2007
• Desecrating Their Graves- Desecrating Our Souls - July 8th, 2007
• Dvar Torah – Parashat Pinchas - July 8th, 2007
• Dvar Torah – Parashat Balak - July 8th, 2007
• Happy are they who maintain justice, and do righteousness at all times - June 27th, 2007
• Rabbis for Human Rights Annual General Meeting - February 22nd, 2007
• Stop Wisconsin - February 8th, 2007
• Tu B'shvat: Our tradition of Human Rights for all of G-d's creations - February 1st, 2007
• Tu B'shvat: Partners in Creation and protecting the Human Rights of all - February 1st, 2007
• Tu BShvat: RHR to plant trees in the Galilee - January 29th, 2007
• RHR officiates at memorial service for victims of the 2007 State Budget - January 2nd, 2007
• Rabbis for Human Rights seeks to increase Health Care Budget - December 25th, 2006
• Our Mission - November 21st, 2006
• Educational Programs and Planting Trees - November 21st, 2006
• Human Rights Education Programs - November 21st, 2006
• Indentured Servants - November 21st, 2006
• Interfaith Dialogue - November 21st, 2006
• Economic and Social Justice - November 21st, 2006
• Professor Aviezer Ravitzky is seriously injured - October 16th, 2006
• Rabbi Max Warschawski zt"l - September 14th, 2006
• Supporters - September 9th, 2006
• Olive Tree Campaign - September 9th, 2006
• Human Rights Educational Initiatives - September 6th, 2006
• Separation Barrier - September 6th, 2006
• Human Rights Yeshiva - September 2nd, 2006
• Defense of Palestinian Human Rights - September 1st, 2006
• Women's Rights - September 1st, 2006
• Israeli Arabs Rights - September 1st, 2006
• Principles of Faith - September 1st, 2006
• Rabbis for Human Rights - September 1st, 2006
• Wanted: People to adopt people from disaster afflicted areas - August 11th, 2006
• RHR rabbis and volunteers visit the bomb-shelters in Qiriat Bialik - August 3rd, 2006
• Jerusalem Mayor announces intention to demolish home - July 28th, 2006
• Prof. Shlomo Avineri discusses Israel Citizenship Law with Rabbis For Human Rights - July 9th, 2006
• Human Rights and Self-Defense: Open meeting of the RHR Human Rights Yeshiva. - May 26th, 2006
• Arab World Human Rights Organizations - May 23rd, 2006
• International NGO Human Rights Organizations - May 23rd, 2006
• Palestine National Authority NGO Human Rights Organizations - May 23rd, 2006
• Israeli NGO Human Rights Organizations - May 23rd, 2006
• Resource Centers - May 23rd, 2006
• RHR Dedicates New Office and Celebrates Niwano Peace Prize - May 19th, 2006
• Economic Justice - May 15th, 2006
• Guarantee Agricultural Access: Participate in planting, plowing, pruning, reaping and and harvesting efforts - May 15th, 2006
• Action Center - May 15th, 2006
• Education - May 15th, 2006
• Economic, Social and Cultural rights - May 15th, 2006
• Children - May 15th, 2006
• Business & Human Rights - May 15th, 2006
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights - May 15th, 2006
• Rabbis for Human Rights Receives Niwano Peace Prize - May 11th, 2006
• Dialogue with the Presbyterian Church USA - April 21st, 2006
• Who Sits With Us At Our Seder?: Haggadah Supplement 5766 - April 7th, 2006
• Board of Directors - January 9th, 2006
• What you can do - January 5th, 2006
• Contact Rabbis for Human Rights - September 14th, 2003
• Protect Housing Rights: Act against discrimination in matters relating to land, development and housing construction. - April 16th, 2003
• Donate - January 14th, 2003
• Who We Are - January 21st, 2000

Categories: Niwano Peace Foundation, latest events
Tags: Bo, ease, fen, human rights, Omer, order, palestinians, peace, settlers