The most famous peace prize of them all, the Nobel Peace Prize was one of five prizes created by Swedish inventor Alfred Noble. Each year, prizes are awarded in chemistry, physics, physiology/medicine, and literature. The peace prize is given to those who have “done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” The most recent recipients include Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, Yemenite human rights activist Tawakel Karman in 2011, the European Union in 2012, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in 2013.
Source: NobelPeacePrize.org
The prestigious Indira Gandhi Peace Prize is awarded annually by India to individuals or organizations to recognize creative contributions towards promoting international peace and development, encouraging scientific advancements to be used for the greater human good, and generally strengthening freedom across the globe. The panel that chooses the recipients is made up of prominent national and international personalities, including previous recipients. Recent prize winners include German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2013), Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (2012), Self-Employed Women’s Association of India (SEWA) Founder Ela Bhatt (2011), and former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The Charlemagne Prize, established in 1950 in commemoration of the founder of the Holy Roman Empire and ruler of the Frankish Empire, Charlemagne, is given annually on Ascension Day in the town of Aachen, Germany. It is awarded to those who promoted international unity, and, according to its sponsors, those who “defend the highest earthly goods – freedom, humanity, and peace – and safeguard the future of their children and children’s children.” Prominent past recipients include U.K. Prime Minister Sir Winston S. Churchill, U.S. President Bill Clinton, and Pope John Paul II.
Source: Aachen.de
Named in honor of Swedish former Prime Minister Olof Palme, the Olof Palme Prize recognizes those who proved a shared commitment to human rights and peace. Previous recipients include individuals and organizations such as Amnesty International, Fatah Youth, Bryan Stevenson, Kofi Annan, and, most recently, Radhia Nasraoui (2012), Waleed Sami Abu AlKhair (2012), and Rosa Taikon (2013).
The Sakharov Prize, or the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, was named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov in 1988, and is meant to honor those who share Sakharov’s commitment to the defense of human rights and freedom of thought. Many Sakharov Prize recipients still face political oppression in their home countries, but continue to speak out for global freedom. Past recipients include South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi, Ghana’s Kofi Annan, Reporters Without Borders, and Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai.
Established by the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation in 2008, the European Medal of Tolerance rewards those who have achieved creative steps forward in the name of promoting tolerance. The aim of the prize is to draw attention to successful initiatives,. It recognizes effectiveness, vision, and impact. Previous recipients include King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, and former Serbian President Boris Tadic.
The Nuremberg International Human Rights Award is a German award founded on Sept. 17, 1995, exactly 60 years after the Nuremberg Race Laws were adopted. This was the anti-semitic laws introduced by the Nazi Party in 1935. The award promotes human rights at the international and European levels, and was created in response to Nuremberg’s scarred history. Previous recipients include Colombia’s Hollman Morris, Iran’s Abdolfattah Soltani, Rwanda’s Eugénie Musayidire, and Mauritania’s Fatimata M’Baye.
The World Peace Prize is awarded to those who have taken extraordinary measures to promote world peace and inter-religious understanding by helping prevent regional conflicts, settle political, diplomatic, and economic disputes, and developing new initiatives to minimize threats to the world. Previous recipients include U.S. President Ronald Reagan, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Mahatma Gandhi, Nigerian President Yakubu Gowan, and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi.
The U Thant Peace Award was created by Indian spiritual master Sri Chinmoy after U.N. Secretary General U Thant’s death. The award is meant to represent his lofty spiritual ideals and tireless pursuit of world peace. Previous recipients include Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and, most recently, Ibrahim Gambari, Bill Pearl, and Pascal Alan Nazareth.
The International Children’s Peace Prize is given annually to a child that has made important contributions to the advancement of children’s rights across the world, particularly in defense of vulnerable children such as orphans, child laborers, and children with HIV/AIDS. An initiative of the KidsRights Foundation, the International Children’s Peace Prize is presented by former Nobel Peace Prize laureates each year in the Netherlands. Former recipients include South Africa’s Nkosi Johnson (for his work in bringing attention to the HIV/AIDS crisis), Tanzania’s Baruani Ndume (a Congolese refugee that fights for better treatment and opportunities for refugees), and, most recently, Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai (an education and women’s rights activist).
