ISEC’s Director Helena Norberg-Hodge has just been named the 2012 recipient of the prestigious Japan-based Goi Peace Award. The Goi Peace Foundation, established in Tokyo in 1999, presents the Goi Peace Award annually to honour individuals and organizations in various fields that have contributed to the advancement of world peace and humanity.
Masahisa Goi (1916-1980) was a Japanese teacher, philosopher, poet and author who dedicated his life to peace and humanity. After witnessing the terrible destruction of the Second World War, he started a world peace movement to spread the message and prayer “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” as a way of uniting the hearts of humanity transcending all boundaries of race, religion, or politics.
Helena is the first female winner of the award, joining a list of international figures including James Lovelock, Bruce Lipton, Ervin Laszlo, Lester Brown, Deepak Chopra, Oscar Arias and Bill Gates (!).
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he Goi Peace Foundation’s website explains that their selection committee has chosen Helena for the Goi Peace Award “in recognition of her pioneering work in the new economy movement to help create a more sustainable and equitable world. Through her advocacy and educational activities promoting localization from an international perspective, Ms. Norberg-Hodge has contributed to the revitalization of cultural and biological diversity, and the strengthening of local communities and economies worldwide.”
Helena will receive the award at a ceremony during the Goi Peace Foundation Forum 2012 to be held at Ginza Blossom Hall in Tokyo on November 25, 2012.
