The World Peace Prize was established in 1989 by the World Peace Corps Mission.
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Mission
World Peace Prize is an initiative with stated intention to promote world peace and inter-religious understanding, awarded periodically to individuals considered to have contributed to the causes of world peace by preventing regional conflicts or world war; by settling the disputes of political, diplomatic and economic matters; by developing new inventions to minimize threats and confusions within mankind. The Prize's stated core spirit is of advancing peace and justice and inter-religious collaborations.
History
Over the past two decades, World Peace Prize has become a prestigious prize well recognized internationally. Past award recipients include President Ronald Reagan of the United States, President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia; Yitzhak Rabin, former Prime Minister of Israel, and President Kuniwo Nakamura of Palau.
The World Peace Prize was set up by Robert L. Leggett in Washington D.C. in 1989. Leggett was a nine-term United States congressman. Prior to that he was a Californian assemblyman and had served the United States Naval Air Crop. While in congress, he served on the House Armed Services and Budget Committees, and as co-chairman of the National Security Task Force.
The World Peace Prize is adjudicated by a panel of judges from diverse background, nationalities, faith and ethnicities. As of 2013 the Chief Judge was Lester Wolff, former Chairman of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Committee of the United States Congress. During Wolff's 1978 congressional delegation to China, he met with Deng Xiaoping. Formal diplomatic relations were later established between the People’s Republic of China and the United States. Wolff also introduced amendments to the White-House sponsored Foreign Assistance Act of 1969 to restore the initiative for direct peace talks between Israel and the Arab States.
Awards
"Top Honor Prize" is the highest recognition of the World Peace Prize. It has been presented to people who are considered to be eminent world leaders working towards the goals of the Prize. Award ceremonies have usually been held in the recipient's home country. In 2011, the award celebration took place in the Gold Room of the United States Capitol, Washington D.C., honoring