Photos and descriptions of many of the recipients of the Award.

Angela Davis honored at Swarthmore College by students in the Peace and Social justice Department. Meg Randa presents the Award to Lillian Gregory as part of the unveiling of the bronze plaque honoring her husband, Dick Gregory.
Rev. Mary Margaret Earl honored during 2021 Pacifist Memorial Dedication Ceremony
for her decades-long commitment to integrating vegan ethics into her ministry. Abbey Chaplain, Dot Walsh presents award to Peace Activist Carol Coakley.

Padraig O’Malley was honored at the Community Church of Boston for playing a major role in breaking the gridlock and promoting peace in South Africa, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East.

Kathleen Denevan, OSF and Ruth Raichle are honored for their decades-long commitment to prison ministry through The Bethany House Ministries in Millis.

Noam Chomsky receives the Courage of Conscience award from Maureen Gaynor at MIT for his unrelenting critique of U.S. foreign policy, capitalism,
and the globalization of systems and structures of profit and greed. Presentation.

Vegan Activist, Philip Murphy was honored at Pacifist Memorial on May 8th, 2022.

Sting with Mikey, Chris and Meg following Great Woods concert and Courage of Conscience Award presentation.

Following Mother Teresa’s visit to the Life Experience School in 1988, she received the Courage of Conscience Award in New York City at St. Patrick’s Cathedral following Mass for the Missionaries of Charity.

Maureen Gaynor receives the Courage of Conscience Award on November 30, 2015 in the field of Disability Rights.

Sir Ben Kensley receives the Courage of Conscience Award from Vani Manchanda in front of the Gandhi Statue which was on exhibit at Montrose School in Medfield, MA.

Muhammad Ali receives the 1994 Courage of Conscience Award from Pat Farren who was honored the following year for establishing Peacework Magazine of the American Friends Service Committee.

Dr. Paul Farmer of Partners in Health receives the award in Sherborn, MA upon his return from Haiti where he practices medicine in small clinics throughout the countryside.

Sculptor George Greenamyer was honored for creating public works of art that challenge the accepted norms of greed, hypocrisy and manipulation in capitalist society.

Artist, activist and pacifist William Kelly from Australia receives the Courage of Conscience Award at Abbey Conference Center.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and final leader of the Soviet Union was honored in Boston during an improptu meeting with Petey Berard and his father Wayne-Daniel.

Sonam Deckyi receives the award for her son Ngawang Choephel in absentia at Harvard University.  (Ngawang was serving 6 years in a Chinese prison for filming music and dance in his homeland of Tibet.)

Francis Crowe and Juanita Nelson receive the award at War Resisters Conference at the Peace Abbey.

At Unitarian Church in Sherborn during the Boston Vegetarian Society Lecture, Will Tuttle is honored.

Benebikira Sisters of Rwanda are honored during ceremony for the Unknown Civilians Killed in war.

School teacher and visionary Betsy Sawyer receives the Courage of Conscience Children’s award at the Peace Abbey for the Big Book for Peace.  The Book was displayed at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on March 20, 2016.

Maha Ghosanda, Supreme Patriarch of Cambodian Buddism, honored upon his visit to the Abbey during which he suggested that the stone for Unknown Civilians Killed in War should be taken to Arlington National Cemetery.  His remarks at the stone led to Stonewalk.

Dadi Janki Spiritual leader, ethical vegetarian, member of the UN “Wisdom Keepers” for 70 years of humanitarian work throughout the world received the Courage of Conscience Award in Cambridge. in 2005.

Sr. Anne Montgomery honored a week before her passing for a life devoted to serving those in war zones throughout the world as a Christian pacifist.

Matt Mitchell receives the award at the Unitarian Church in Duxbury for his 100 Faces of the War Experience in 2015 which captures the stories of veterans returning from Afganistan and Iraq.

Jane O’Hara’s devotion to animals through her artistry was celebrated with the Courage of Conscience Award in 2015 at the Duxbury Courage of Conscience Award Concert.

Cindy Sheehan honored for revitalizing the Peace Movement and giving a face to the movement to end the war in Iraq.  This she did as a result of the death of her son Casey, a soldier killed 2004 in Iraq.

Senator Edward Kennedy receives the posthumous award for his brother Robert Francis Kennedy who was an anti-war candidate for the presidency in 1968.  RFK was assassinated following his victory in the California Democratic Primary on June 5, 1968.

Francis Crowe gives touching acceptance speech after receiving the award at the Peace Abbey Conference Center.

Pam Benejamin and her campers received the humanitarian award at their 25th-anniversary celebration on Martha’s Vineyard.  The camp has a global outreach program that serves boat builders in the Carribean and throughout the Third World.

Keydong Thuk-Che-Cho-Ling Nunery for providing sanctuary for cows and sheep that escape the slaughterhouses near their Kathmandu convent.

Award recipient Camilo Mejia at the Memorial stone for Civilians Killed in War.

Ingrid Newkirk, Co-founder of PETA with companion.

Matthew Fox, author of 30 books that sold millions of copies on Creation Spirituality received the award in Boston in 2006.

Code Pink honored at Agape Center in LA.

Political satirist Barry Crimmins honored with Maya Angelou at the Peace Abbey Conference Center.

Rigoberta Menchu, Mayan leader honored for her leadership in the liberation movement of the indigenous people of Central America.

Eddie Lama honored for his work in NYC to open the eyes of the general public to the brutal relationship humans have with animals when it comes to food choices.

Anuradha Koirala honored for working to stop the trafficking of young girls from Nepal to India to be sexual slaves.

Thich Nhat Hanh honored in Newton, MA following Mindful Training and the blessing of the National Registry for Conscientious Objection.

S. Brian Wilson honored at the JFK Library during the Legacy of the Peace Movement Concert in 1992.

Comedian Jimmy Tingle honored for his brilliant and thoughtful routines that address the ills of society in such a way that hearts and minds open and a shift toward goodness occurs.

Richie Havens was honored at the Peace Abbey and was the presenter of the award to Dr. Benjamin Spock at the JFK Library in 1992.

Paul Winter received the award following his concert at Symphony Hall in Boston.

Katy Kelly was honored during a ceremony which launched Stonewalk.

Mother Antonia received the award at the University of San Diego Peace Center.

Dalai Lama expresses gratitude when receiving the award from Lewis Randa.

To Make Gentle the Life of the World

INT’L COURAGE OF CONSCIENCE AWARD

“The unique and primary mission of the Courage of Conscience Award is to honor and link high profile peacemakers, those well-known, widely publicized and well regarded – with lesser-known activists who are equally deserving – yet not widely known, nor sufficiently supported.”
– Lewis M. Randa, Executive Director, The Peace Abbey Foundation

Recipients are from the following countries:  USA, Sweden, Nicaragua, El Salvador, India, Tibet, Viet Nam, Egypt, Israel, Australia, China, Soviet Union, Cambodia, Argentina, Japan, England, Palestine, Rwanda, Nepal, Spain, Mexico, France, South Africa & Columbia.

Listed in the Order of Receiving the Award
1988 – 2024

1. OXFAM AMERICA
International humanitarian and hunger relief organization for its innovative self-help community programs assisting people in developing nations. Read More

2. ELLWOOD KIESER
Priest and founding Producer of Paulist Productions for creating the films Romero – The Life of Archbishop Oscar Romero and Entertaining Angels – the Life of Dorothy Day. Read more.

3. DICK SCOBIE
Quaker, pacifist, Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee for his work to expose human rights violations in El Salvador and to promote peace throughout Central America. Read more.

4. JAMES R. BROCKMAN
Priest and author for his book Romero – The Life of Archbishop Oscar Romero, martyr of El Salvador. Read more.

5. JOACHIM LALLY
Paulist Priest and community activist for his work within the Massachusetts Latino community. Read more.

6. PETER, PAUL & MARY
Musical trio and political activists for their commitment to peace in Central America and for supporting musically and personally the peace and social justice movement in America. Read More

7. PEACE BRIGADES INTERNATIONAL
Gandhian human rights organization for providing unarmed accompaniment to activists on death squad lists throughout the Third World. Read More

8. VOICE of the VOICELESS OF EL SALVADOR
Humanitarian group for its efforts to protect and empower the impoverished in El Salvador.  Read more

9. ERNESTO CARDENAL
Jesuit priest, poet, philosopher and former Secretary of the Interior and Education in the Sandinista Government in Nicaragua for bringing the gospel into politics. Read more.

10. MOTHER TERESA of CALCUTTA (AGNES GONXHA BOYAXHIU)
Catholic nun, a humanitarian and spiritual teacher for her work with the Missionaries of Charity serving the poorest of the poor in India and throughout the world. Read More

11. FINDING
Human rights organization for its efforts to assist families in locating those who disappeared in Guatemala.  Read more

12. JOSE “CHENCHO” ALAS
Priest, social revolutionary, and aide to Monsignor Oscar Romero for bringing the social gospel to base communities in El Salvador and Nicaragua. Read more.

13. RAUL JULIA
Actor and humanitarian for his portrayal of Archbishop Romero in the film “Romero” and Chico Mendez in the film “Burning Seasons”. Read more.

14. THE XIV DALAI LAMA of TIBET (TENZIN GYATSO)
Buddhist monk, humanitarian, spiritual teacher and exiled leader of Tibet for his example of compassion and forgiveness following the massacre of his people and culture by the occupying army of China. Read More

15. HOWARD W. MOORE
Secular humanist and pacifist for his tenacious and impassioned leadership as a conscientious objector during WWI & II, Korea, and Vietnam. Read more.

16. SISSELA BOK
Scholar, educator, and author for her contributions to peacemaking strategies in the tradition of her mother, Alva Myrdal. Read More.

17. THICH NHAT HANH
Exiled Vietnamese Buddhist monk, humanitarian, author, ethical vegetarian, and spiritual teacher for his example of compassion and forgiveness following the destructive war in Vietnam. Read More

18. ZELL DRAZ
Philanthropist and social activist for her supportive and creative involvement in the Quaker-based Alternatives to Violence program in prisons. Read more.

19. DANIEL BERRIGAN
Jesuit priest, poet, philosopher, author, and anti-war activist for his moral leadership in the pacifist movement for peace, justice, and social change. Read more.

20. RICHIE HAVENS
Singer, environmentalist and political activist for his musical contribution to the peace movement and for being a friend to those who struggle against injustice, exploitation and neglect. Read more.

21. FRANK CORDARO
Pacifist and Catholic Worker activist for his witness and commitment to the disarmament movement and his efforts to bring the Catholic Church into alignment with its highest calling. Read more.

22. CAMELIA SADAT
Muslim, educator, and activist for carrying on the peacemaking legacy of her soldier-turned-peacemaker father, Anwar Sadat. Read more.

23. RAM DASS
Teacher, author, and spiritual guide for teaching us to be here now and that compassion is the true source of service. Read more.

24. PAUL WINTER
Composer, musician, environmentalist, and pacifist for creating music that celebrates the sacredness of life and for his support of the arts. Read More

25. JIM & KATHLEEN MCGINNIS
Catholic educators, pacifists, authors and co-founders of the Institute for Peace and Justice for their extraordinary commitment to teaching and spreading peace. Read more.

26. MICHAL SCHWARTZ
Israeli Jew, human rights activist, and journalist for her work to promote peace and social justice and a homeland for Palestinians. Read more.

27. WESTON PRIORY MONKS
Congregation of Benedictine monks for their active involvement in the sanctuary movement for Guatemalans and Salvadorans in exile. Read more.

28. BENJAMIN SPOCK
Pediatrician, ethical vegetarian, socialist, and author for his lifelong commitment to disarmament and peaceable child-rearing.

29. HELEN CALDICOTT
Pacifist, physician, author, and founder of the Women for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND) for her dynamic leadership in the worldwide disarmament movement. Read more.

30. DAVE DELLINGER
Anti-war activist, socialist and author for his lifelong commitment to pacifist values and for serving as a spokesperson for the peace movement. Read more.

31. S. BRIAN WILLSON
Vietnam veteran, anti-war activist and author for his extraordinary personal sacrifices to demonstrate opposition to militarism and U.S. involvement in Latin America. Read more.

32. CURTIS and LISA SLIWA
Social change and inner-city activists for their work to establish the Guardian Angels in major cities on every continent in the world. Read more.

33. ROSA PARKS
Elder spokeswoman and activist for her continual example of community service and for her lifelong commitment to civil rights and non-violent social change. Read more.

34. BETSY CORNER & RANDY KEHLER
Pacifists, anti-war activists, and example-setting parents for their sacrifices and leadership in the war tax resistance movement. Read more.

35. ARUN & SUNANDA GANDHI
Teachers, authors, pacifists, and co-founders of the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Non-Violence in Memphis, Tennessee for bringing the legacy of Gandhi to America. Read more.

36. GORDON ZAHN
Scholar, teacher, and Catholic pacifist for his lifelong commitment to the ideals of nonviolence and conscientious objection and for his work with the Second Vatican Council to make the Catholic Church a church of peace. Read more.

37. ED McCURDY
Singer, songwriter, and television actor for his anti-war classic “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream” which inspired and gave hope to those in the peace movement. Read more.

38. RAMSEY CLARK
Former Attorney General and peace and social justice activist for his commitment to civil rights, his opposition to war and military spending, and his dedication to providing legal representation to the peace movement, particularly, his efforts to free Leonard Peltier. Read more.

39. ARLO GUTHRIE
Singer, songwriter, and political activist for his life and his music that carry on the legacy of his minstrel father, Woody Guthrie. Presented at Harvard University on September 26, 1992. Read more.

40. LOUISE CARCIONE
Social worker and political activist for her dedicated leadership in community development in the City of Boston. Read more.

41. ELIAS & HEYEM JABBOUR
Peace activists and co-founders of The House of Hope International Peace Center in Israel for their work to bring Muslims, Jews and Christians together in the struggle against voices of extremism and blind hatred throughout the region. Read more.

42. BARRY CRIMMINS
Pacifist, ethical vegetarian, political satirist, and child welfare activist for his work to expose situations that exploit people in the developing world and children here in America. Read More 

43. MAYA ANGELOU
Humanitarian, philosopher, poet, and author for her soaring inspiration to live life with intensity, integrity, and intelligence. Read More.

44. MUHAMMAD ALI
Muslim, humanitarian, anti-war activist, and former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World for his commitment to peacemaking and his leadership as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. Read More

45. RIGOBERTA MENCHU
Mayan leader and author for her personal sacrifices and unrelenting commitment to exposing human rights violations against indigenous people in Guatemala and throughout Latin America. Read more.

46. INGRID NEWKIRK and ALEX PACHECO
Animal rights activists, vegans, and co-founders of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for their pioneering work to expose cruelty to animals and to promote vegetarianism. Read More

47. LAWRENCE MARTIN JENCO
Catholic priest, author, and teacher for his capacity to forgive his captures having been held hostage for 19 months and tortured by religious extremists in Beruit. Read more.

48. MICHAEL KLAPER
Philosopher, humanitarian, and environmentalist for the clarity and passion of his witness as a vegan physician and surgeon. Read more.

49. RON DELLA CHIESA
Classical and jazz scholar for being a steward of intergenerational music that binds society and elevates cultural integrity. Read more.

50. HARRY WU
Human rights activist and author for his extraordinary sacrifices and commitment to exposing human rights violations in his motherland China. Read more.

51. MATTHEW FOX
Environmental theologian, teacher, and author for his inspiring teachings on Creation Spirituality. Read More

52. SIKH DHARMA
Sikh Dharma in the Western Hemisphere for the organization’s extraordinary efforts to promote interfaith reconciliation. Read more.

53. WILLIAM JOHNSTON
Police officer and humanitarian for years of community service as a decoy in the Boston Police Department out of a desire to find kinship with the victims of society. Read more.

54. PAT FARREN
Former Peace Corps volunteer, pacifist, and founding editor of “Peace Work” (the peace and social justice magazine of the American Friends Service Committee) for lifelong service to the causes of peace, social justice, and human rights. Read more.

55. COLMAN McCARTHY
Pacifist, journalist, and ethical vegetarian for his nationally syndicated column in the Washington Post. Read more.

56. LOUISE COLEMAN
Animal rights activist for her pioneering work to save greyhounds from death following their exploitation at racing parks throughout New England. Read more.

57. HOWARD ZINN
Scholar, author, anti-war activist, and leader of the peace movement for giving voice to the victims of oppression and for his revealing book, People’s History of the United States. Read more.

58. RALPH DiGIA
Secular humanist and pacifist for his example as a conscientious objector and for over forty years of dedicated service at the War Resister’s League in New York City. Read more.

59. ROSE & BILL ABBOTT
Humanitarians, farmers, and co-founders of Food for the Needy for their 25 years of growing acres of vegetables and donating the harvests to the poor in the Worcester/Boston area. Read more.

60. GENE and LORRI BAUSTON
Ethical vegetarians, animal rights activists, humanitarians, and co-founders of Farm Sanctuary for their commitment to saving farm animals and for their leadership as vegan pacifists. Read more.

61. MIKHAIL GORBACHEV
Last President of the Soviet Union for his historic role in the evolution of Glasnost – openness in government – and for his leadership in the disarmament negotiations with the United States during the Reagan Administration. Read more.

62. MICHAEL TOBIAS
Humanitarian, scholar, author, film producer, and ethical vegetarian for his dedication to issues of overpopulation, the environment, and ahimsa (dynamic harmlessness). Read more.

63. MAHA GHOSANANDA
Pacifist, ethical vegetarian, author, and Supreme Patriarch of Cambodian Buddhism for teaching non-violence and establishing Buddhist temples throughout the world that root his exiled people in their religion of peace. Read more.

64. HOWARD LYMAN
Ethical vegetarian and fourth-generation cattle rancher- turned vegan for his leadership in the animal rights movement. Read more.

65. CHRIS DeROSE
Former actor, vegan, animal rights activist, and founder of Last Chance for Animals for his commitment to saving animals and exposing animal abuse in entertainment, medical research and food production. Read more.

66. PATCH ADAMS
Physician, professional clown, and socialist for his commitment to providing health care for indigent and uninsured people, free of charge, without malpractice insurance, out of his home for over 25 years. Read More

67. GURUDEV SHREE CHITRABHANU
Jain teacher, ethical vegetarian, pacifist, and author for his unprecedented journey to bring the Jain tradition of ahimsa to the Western Hemisphere. Read more.

68. AARON FEUERSTEIN
Industrialist and philanthropist for setting the standard for commitment to employees following a devastating fire at his Malden Mills manufacturing plant. Read more.

69. HUGH C. THOMPSON, JR.
American soldier and Veterans Administration counselor for his extraordinary moral courage while stopping the My Lai massacre in Vietnam in 1968 and saving the lives of dozens of civilian Vietnamese. Read More

70. LAWRENCE COLBURN
American soldier for his courage during the 1968 My Lai massacre with comrades Hugh C. Thompson, Jr. and Glen Andreotta in saving the lives of dozens of civilian Vietnamese. Read more.

71. PEACE PAGODA
International Japanese Nipponzan Buddhist Order is devoted to prayer and service for the Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage – Tracing the Journey of Slavery (United States, Caribbean, Brazil, West Africa, South Africa). Read more.

72. STANLEY KUNITZ
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and conscientious objector for his contribution to the liberation of the human spirit through his poetry. Read more.

73. NGAWANG CHOEPHEL
Tibetan scholar for his courage in returning to Tibet to preserve the history and diversity of Tibetan oral tradition in music and dance. Presented in absentia to his mother Sonam Dekyi. Read More Web Link Photos by Scott Langley

74. JUAN CARRERO SARALEGUI
Spanish activist, conscientious objector, and Gandhian pacifist for his lifelong commitment to non-violence and his work to halt and expose the truth behind the genocide in the Great Lakes Nations of Africa. Read more.

75. YOKO KAWASHIMA WATKINS
Author for her poignant and eloquent accounting of her courageous struggle against oppression during World War II and her inspiration to young people throughout America and the world. Read more.

76. KATHY KELLY
Founder and leader of Voices in the Wilderness for her extraordinary commitment to befriend the Iraqi people and bring to light their great suffering under the immoral UN/US economic sanctions. Read more.

77. JUN YASUDA
Buddhist nun, member of the Nipponzan Myohoji Community, and Founder of the Grafton Peace Pagoda for living and walking for Peace and Non-Violence, nationally and internationally. Read more.

78. LOUISE FRANKLIN-RAMERIZ
Feminist, environmentalist, anti-war activist, and leader in the movements for gender equality, social justice, non-violence, and peace for her demonstrated vision, energy, and idealism on the pathway to peacemaking over a period of seven decades. Read more.

79. RICHARD McSORLEY
Jesuit priest, author, Catholic worker, teacher, pacifist, and Founder and Director of the Center for Peace Studies at Georgetown University for his lifelong commitment to activist Gospel living in the face of adversity. Read more.

80. JIM WALLIS
Minister and author for his work in advocating for peace and social justice in urban America and for his role as founder of Sojourners Magazine and the Call to Renewal. Read more.

81. ELISE BOULDING
Quaker pacifist, author, professor, and futurist for her lifelong commitment and contributions to peace and justice, envisioning the Peaceable Kingdom as a shared reality. Read more.

82. BARBARA SONNEBORN
Director, writer and producer of the documentary film “Regret to Inform” for her courage in helping us understand the tragedy of war through sharing her tragic and poignant story and similar stories of other widows of the Vietnam War. Read more.

83. JIMMY TINGLE
Political satirist, practitioner of non-violence and activist for peace & social change, whose humor and satire help in combating destructive elements in society. Read more.

84. STING and TRUDIE STYLER
Singer/songwriter, documentary film producers for their commitment to the environment through the establishment of the Rainforest Foundation; to human rights in China through the documentary film on Tiananmen Square; and to peace and social justice through the powerful gift of song. Read more.

85. MICHIO and AVELINE KUSHI
Founders of The Kushi Institute for their extraordinary contribution to diet, health and world peace, and for serving as powerful examples of conscious living. Read more.

86. HARVARD LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN and the
STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE LIVING WAGE SIT-IN AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY
University labor movement collaboration for the clarity of their message, passion of their witness, and courage and commitment in demanding that Harvard pay all its employees a living wage. Read more.

87. MICHAEL TRUE
Pacifist, educator, author, and lifelong peace activist for his compassionate and compelling leadership in the movement for peace and non-violent social change, and for serving as a mentor and beacon of integrity for pacifists throughout America. Read more.

88. MICHAEL PATRICK MacDONALD
Author, community organizer, and peace activist for his courage and committed efforts to stem the tide of inner-city violence through the establishment of the gun-buyback program in Boston. Read more.

89. SR. JEANNETTE NORMANDIN
Sister of St. Anne, counselor, prison chaplain, and founder of the Ruah House, serving women living with HIV, for the clarity of her vision, her decades of work with prisoners and the poor in the inner city, and for her courageous devotion to the call for women to serve humanity within the Roman Catholic Church as equals in the eyes of Christ. Read more.

90. JOHN ROBBINS
Author, animal rights activist, environmentalist, vegan, and founder of EarthSave, for his extraordinary leadership in the global movement for a plant-based diet that promotes health, cruelty-free living, and a commitment to a diet for a new America. Read More 

91. KEYDONG THUK-CHE-CHO-LING NUNNERY
First Tibetan Buddhist nuns in history to embark on the sacred journey of mandala building, and for their ancient tradition of providing sanctuary for cows and sheep that escape from slaughterhouses near their Kathmandu convent. Read more.

92. EDDIE LAMA
New York City contractor, community organizer, ethical vegan, and animal rights activist for his passionate efforts to educate the general public about the injustice of animal exploitation. Read more.

93. ROY BOURGEOIS
Veteran, priest, and founder of The School of the Americas Watch for his leadership and unrelenting commitment to close down the SOA training base for US sponsored terrorism in Latin America. Read more.

94. REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA LEE
US Representative from California for her courage to stand alone and vote against the call to war after the tragedy of September 11. In her speech she said, “let us not become the evil that we deplore”. Read more.

95. MICHAEL LERNER & TIKKUN MAGAZINE
Rabbi, author, and editor of Tikkun magazine for his unflinching courage and relentless spiritual optimism for the Middle East and for proclaiming a vision of compassion and love in the darkest of times.  Read more

96. PETER AND ILKA SHUMANN AND THE BREAD & PUPPET THEATRE
Founders of The Bread and Puppet Theater for their commitment to promoting social awareness through compelling political and artistic productions that address social and economic injustices. Read more

97. JULIA BUTTERFLY HILL
Author, environmentalist, vegan, and social change activist for her extraordinary commitment to saving the Redwood Forest through her Luna Tree-sit, and ongoing efforts to educate, inspire, and further the movement for peace and social justice.  Read more

98. JULIA ESTY AND SHELAGH FOREMAN
Anti-war, nuclear freeze and social justice activists for their unrelenting work against the spread of militarism and a culture of violence. Both women devote their lives to promoting the causes of peace and nonviolence and serve as an inspiration to thousands on the pathway of peacemaking.  Read more

99. CHRIS HEDGES
War correspondent, New York Times reporter and author for his passionate commitment to demythologize and explain the abomination of war and its destructive effects on civil society. Read more.

100. WILLIAM SLOANE COFFIN
Christian minister, author, anti-war activist and mentor to a generation of peacemakers for his life-long Gospel witness, and his passionate and prophetic leadership in the peace and social justice movements. Read more.

101. RUTH HILLER AND NEW PROFILE
American-born, Israeli Jew for her unswerving devotion to the ideals of New Profile which strives to change the military mindset in Israel and create a civil society. Read more.

102. SEPTEMBER 11TH FAMILIES FOR PEACEFUL TOMORROWS
For their courage in turning grief into action by creating solidarity with victims of terrorism, violence, and war throughout the world.  Read more

103. PAUL AND TATIANA RUSESABAGINA
In honor of their extraordinary efforts that saved the lives of over twelve hundred innocent people at the Hotel Milles Collines during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.  Read more

104. CAMILO MEJIA
Iraq War Conscientious Objector, Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience, and ethical vegetarian.  Read more.

105. DADI JANKI
Spiritual leader, ethical vegetarian, member of the UN “Wisdom Keepers” for 70 years of humanitarian work throughout the world. Read more.

106. CINDY SHEEHAN
Mother, author, ethical vegetarian for the power of her witness against the war as generated through her profound sense of loss following the death of her son Casey in Iraq.  Read more

107. MILITARY FAMILIES SPEAK OUT
For bringing together thousands of families and loved ones of those serving in the military to speak out against the illegal war in Iraq.  Read More

108. ROBERT COLES
Child psychiatrist, oral historian, social anthropologist, and teacher for the depth of his commitment to the health and well-being of children through their telling of their own stories. Read more

109. JUANITA AND WALLY NELSON
Farmers, civil rights activists, pacifists and war tax resisters for their love & generosity and their spirited life of service to the movements of social justice, activist nonviolence and peace.  Read more

110. WILLIAM KELLY
International artist, humanist, human rights advocate, and founder of the Archive of Humanist Art, which features art that addresses humanist peace concerns.  Read more

111. ANURADHA KOIRALA
Founder and director of Maiti Nepal, (“Mother’s House”) to rescue, rehabilitate, and support some of the thousands of girls and women who have been trafficked from Nepal to India to be sexual slaves in brothels.  Read more

112. SOS GALGOS
A Greyhound adoption and advocacy group based in Spain for their tireless and courageous effort to save and protect these animals  Read more

113. HUSTON SMITH
For his life-long commitment to bringing the world’s religions together to promote understanding, social justice and peace.  Read more

114. SURVIVORS OF GERNIKA BOMBING
For their promotion of reconciliation, their commitment to peace for the children of Gernika and the world, and for sharing their remarkable journey with grace and dignity.  Read more

115. FRANCES CROWE
For her lifelong commitment to the Peace Movement and her unrelenting opposition to war through war tax resistance and eco-pacifist lifestyle. Read more.

116. GRASSROOTS SOCCER: Ethan Zohn and Dr. Tommy Clark
For their combined humanitarian efforts to spread HIV education throughout Africa via soccer teams for youth and young adults. Read More

117. CODEPINK: Jodie Evans
For the passionate and driven direction women have given the peace movement through this organization that blends tenacity with hope, pranks of conscience with in-your-face challenges to war waging political figures in Washington.  Read more

118. JACKSON BROWNE
For promoting peace and justice through his music and his unrelenting support for that which promotes nonviolent solutions to problems both nationally and internationally.Read More

119. WILL TUTTLE
For spreading an understanding of the many costs of our exploitation of animals through his book “The World Peace Diet” which furthers the vegan revolution and its outreach worldwide. Read More

120. BURMESE ORDER OF BUDDHIST MONKS (in absentia)
For leading the people of Burma in nonviolent Gandhian protest against the cruel and oppressive Burmese military junta.  Read more

121. GREG MORTENSON AND THE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE
For the extraordinary humanitarian effort and commitment to build schools for girls and create bridges of peace in Pakistan and Afghanistan.Read More

122. GENE SHARP
For his lifelong commitment to the defense of freedom, democracy, and the reduction of political violence through scholarly analysis of the power of nonviolent action.  Read more.

123. FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES
For engaging students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry.Read More

124. TOMMIE SMITH
For his life-long commitment to athletics, education, and human rights following his silent gesture of protest at the ’68 Olympics in Mexico City. Read More

125. INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF 13 INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHERS
For their individual and collective efforts to give a voice to all indigenous peoples and Mother Earth through education and prayer.  Read more

126. SIR BEN KINGSLEY
For his extraordinary portrayal of Mohandas K. Gandhi in the 1982 motion picture, GANDHI brought to life the power of nonviolence and pacifism.  Read more

127. PAUL FARMER & PARTNERS IN HEALTH
For saving lives by providing free health care to people in the world’s poorest communities and working to improve health care systems globally. Read More

128. PETE SEEGER
For his commitment to peace and social justice as a musician, songwriter, activist, and environmentalist that spans over seventy years.  Read More

129. COMBATANTS FOR PEACE
Courageous individuals from Israel and Palestine who transformed their lives and now work together to educate the public and political leaders about how to create dialogue and stop the cycle of violence. Read More

130. HOUSE OF PEACE
Founded by Carrie and John Schuchardt to provide physical refuge and spiritual sanctuary to victims of war.  Read more

131. SUZANNE AND BRAYTON SHANLEY AND THE AGAPE COMMUNITY
Co-Founders of a Catholic retreat center with a focus on nonviolence, peacemaking and sustainable living. Read More

132. FATHER JOHN DEAR S.J.
Jesuit Priest, author, lecturer, peace activist and vegetarian, for his solidarity, and leadership in nonviolent resistance and Gospel living. Read More

133. CHINA GALLAND
Author, filmmaker, university lecturer for her immense social consciousness, spiritual courage and devotion to telling the story of reclaiming Love Cemetery in Texas.  Read more

134. MOTHER ANTONIA BRENNER
Catholic nun, founder of the order of Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour for her prison ministry in Tijuana living in a cell for over thirty years.  Read more

135. BENEBIKIRA SISTERS OF RWANDA
Catholic nuns and educators for their compassionate voices and work in caring for and sheltering the victims of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.  Read more

136. GREENPEACE
International peace and environmental organization for decades of engaged activism that serves to inspire citizens of the world to embrace their moral authority and bring about needed social change in the world.  Read more

137. DESMOND TUTU
Anti-apartheid spiritual leader of South Africa who provided his country and the world with a moral understanding of the evils of apartheid and the importance and power of truth and reconciliation on the path to healing his nation.  Read more

138. FRANK ROBINSON
Visionary and founder of Camp Arrowhead and Camp Warren for working with the Amputee Veteran’s Association to create America’s first day camp for children with physical disabilities and creating camping opportunities for children and young adults for over a half a century.  Read more

139. DENNIS KUCINICH
U.S. Congressman from Ohio for speaking out against the obscenity of war, Wall Street greed, and materialism, while giving voice to the needs of all people as well as animals as a Vegan Peacemaker.  Read more

140. NELSON MANDELA
Anti-apartheid leader and first president of a free South Africa for his courage, commitment, and extraordinary willingness to forgive and reconcile after 27 years in prison.  Read more

141. JOAN BAEZ
Singer, songwriter, and musician for her extraordinary commitment to peace, social and economic justice, human rights and the environment, on and off stage throughout the world, for over a half of century. Read more.

142. ANNE MONTGOMERY
Catholic nun, pacifist, educator and peace activist for a lifetime of service to those in need in America and in war-torn countries throughout the world. Read more.

143. FIONA JENSEN / CALMER CHOICE
Occupational Therapist, educator and founder of Calmer Choice for her impassioned commitment to address the urgent issues of violence, suicide, and self-destructive behaviors in young people through mindfulness training on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Read more.

158.  MARY MARGARET EARL
Executive Director and Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry, social justice activist for her commitment to integrating vegan ethics into her decades-long ministry in Boston.  Read more.

159. CAROL COAKLEY
Peace, social justice, and civil rights activist and union organizer for her life-long commitment to ending war, racism, and violence and working towards a world where peace and justice prevail.  Read More

160. PHILIP MURPHY
Author, Buddhist, and vegan activist for his extraordinary and uncompromising commitment to a vegan lifestyle, animal justice and the pursuit of a world that is peaceful, kind and cruelty-free.
Read More

161. LILLIAN GREGORY
Social justice and peace activist and for her unswerving commitment to civil rights and racial equality for over a half-century alongside her husband, Dick Gregory.
Read More

162. DEAN STEVENS
Activist and singer-song writer for his commitment to promoting peace and social justice through his music, his words and his deeds.
Read More

163.  CAROL BEDROSIAN
Founding editor of Spirit of Change Magazine for her decades long commitment to promoting the understanding of Holistic Medicine and power of self-healing.
Read More

164. BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE
American singer-song writer, musician and activist for her extraordinary, half-century long commitment to indigenous peoples of the Untied States and Canada.
Read More

165. BARRY LEVY
Public health physician and author for his decades-long commitment to researching and examining the health consequences of armed conflict, terrorism and war throughout the world.
Read More

166. TIM AND JANE MCHALE
Choral group founders for their creative and unwavering devotion to lifting spirits and keeping hope alive in homeless shelters, prisons, and residential facilities and where they are called to serve.
Read More

167. ANGELA DAVIS
American Marxist, feminist political activist, philosopher, academic and author in recognition for her commitment to the Intersectionality of human rights, animal rights and the climate crisis through veganism.
Read More

 

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CHILDREN’S PEACE AWARDS:

1. JIM HENSON
Humanitarian, muppeteer, producer and director of films for children that encourage tolerance, interracial values, equality and fair play.  Read more

2. EARTH GUARDIANS AND THE CHILDREN’S
TORCH OF PEACE
For their journey across America by school bus to empower other children to break out of the norm and risk making a difference in the world.

3. COLOMBIAN CHILDREN’S PEACE MOVEMENT
For their courageous effort to end the war in their homeland and for setting an example of peacemaking for children and adults throughout the world.  Read more

4. BETSY SAWYER & THE PAGES FOR PEACE PROJECT
Teacher and students for their creative efforts within the Bookmakers and Dreamers Club from Groton-Dunstable Regional School District in MA to build the biggest book in the world.  Funeral service  Read More

POSTHUMOUS AWARDS:

1. ANWAR SADAT
President of Egypt for his historic and visionary trip to Israel in 1978 that, challenging the structures of an ancient enmity, led to the Camp David Accords and a peace treaty between the two nations. Read more

2. ALVA MYRDAL
Swedish Disarmament Minister, Ambassador to India, college founder, author and social reformer for her lifelong work on behalf of women’s rights, education reform, and the international disarmament movement.  Read more

3. MAHATMA GANDHI
Lawyer, ethical vegetarian, and architect of the nonviolent resistance movement in India and South Africa for his creative approaches to civil disobedience in the founding of a peace movement that helped establish the freedom of an entire nation.  Read more

4. PEACE PILGRIM
Wandering mendicant and peace activist for her unprecedented 28 year trip across America, in which she walked over 25,000 miles, talking to everyone she met about peaceful living.  Read more

5. BEN LINDER
American mechanical engineering student for his efforts to provide hydroelectric power to a small rural town in Nicaragua, for which he paid with his life at the hands of an American-backed Contra soldier.  Read more

6. ABBIE HOFFMAN
Political activist, author, founder of the Youth International Movement (Yippies) and member of the Chicago Seven, for relentlessly pitting his rebellious spirit against the Vietnam War and other oppressive forces in the United States during the Sixties.  Read more

7. JOHN ONO LENNON
Musician and peace activist for his music and anti-war protests which helped to bring to the attention of an entire generation the ideals of peace and love.  Read more

8. OSCAR ROMERO
Archbishop of El Salvador for his courageous battle on behalf of the poor communities in his country seeking democratic freedom and social justice from the military powers that oppressed them.  Read more

9. DOROTHY DAY
Publisher, pacifist, civil disobedient, and altruist for her work with the poor and founding of the Catholic Worker’s movement.  Read more

10. ROBERT FRANCIS KENNEDY
U.S. Attorney General, Senator and presidential candidate for his activities on behalf of social and economic justice that led to a political and social awakening while on the campaign trail in 1968. Web Link

11. REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Pastor and visionary civil-rights leader for his ethical and spiritual leadership in the historic civil rights campaign that forever changed the American nation. King brought the Gandhi tradition of non-violent social activism to the American struggle for civil rights.  Read more

12. WOODY GUTHRIE
Songwriter and social activist for the great artistry and empathy of his classic songs, which conveyed the plight of the common person, from migrant workers in California to union organizers in New York. Read more

13. GLENN ANDREOTTA
American soldier in Vietnam for his unusual bravery and compassion in helping, along with helicopter crew members Hugh C. Thompson Jr. and Lawrence Coburn, to save civilian lives during the My Lai massacre in Vietnam in 1968. Read more

14. JOSEPH MOAKLEY
US Representative and respected voice of conscience in Congress for his unrelenting commitment to ending the war in El Salvador and throughout Central America, and for the compassionate care he gave his constituents in Massachusetts for nearly three decades.  Read more

15. SAMANTHA SMITH
American schoolgirl, child peace activist and Goodwill Ambassador for helping to bring about a better understanding between the peoples of the United States of America (USA) and the Soviet Union of Socialist Republics (USSR), and as a result, reduce the tension between the superpowers that were poised to engage in nuclear war.  Read more.

16. VIRGINIA “GINNY” BOUVIER
U.S. Institute of Peace and Latin America scholar, key international advisor to Colombia’s peace process with the FARC who helped to insure the inclusion of women, Afro-Colombians, and other, previously excluded groups for her unrelenting devotion to peacebuilding in Columbia and throughout the world.  Read more.

17. ANDREA BINDER
Teacher and mentor to countless individuals for her loving leadership training that sought to dissolve personal concerns and issues and put the welfare of human beings first in the world.

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COURAGE OF CONSCIENCE AWARD PAGE

Courage of Conscience Award recipient Jimmy Tingle shares autographed MLK book with recipient Lillian Gregory at event that unveiled bronze plaque honoring her husband of 58 years, Dick Gregory.