GOI Peace Award

➡️ GOI PEACE AWARD – Honouring Those Who Have Made Outstanding Contributions to Peace

The Goi Peace Award was established in 2000 by the Goi Peace Foundation, an organisation dedicated to promoting global peace and harmony. The award is given annually to those who have "made outstanding contributions toward the realisation of a peaceful and harmonious world."

The 2025 award went to Peace One Day founder Jeremy Gilley. Previous recipients include Jane Goodall, Scilla Elworthy, and Satish Kumar. Recipients of the award are recognised for their inspiring efforts in education, science, culture, and philanthropy. The award emphasises the importance of collaborative and innovative solutions to the world's most pressing issues.

The Goi Peace Foundation was established in Tokyo, Japan, in 1999 by Hiroo Saionji and Masami Saionji. Their work is based on the teachings of Masahisa Goi (1916–1980). Goi was a philosopher, peace activist, and spiritual leader.

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Jump straight to our resources on the ➡️ Goi Peace Award

Explore our comprehensive guides on -

• Peace & Nonviolence

• Fostering a Culture of Peace

• Other Peace Prizes

• Jeremy Gilley

• Exemplary People in Peace

The foundation also runs forums to discuss how we can spread positive change in our societies, featuring influential figures from the global peace movement. They also run lecture series and workshops where experts discuss their values and new knowledge, and participants can learn how to become proactive contributors to their communities.

They are also heavily involved in youth education, focusing on youth empowerment and mobilisation, sustainable development, entrepreneurial skills, and the establishment of a community of young changemakers.

"I am deeply grateful to the Goi Peace Foundation for supporting those working to stop violent conflict, by promoting consciousness, values and wisdom throughout the world." - Scilla Elworthy

The Teachings of Masahisa Goi

Masahisa Goi dedicated his life to a simple yet profound universal peace prayer: "May Peace Prevail on Earth." In 1955, this message became a peace movement that transcended religious, ethnic, and political boundaries, inspiring people around the world to foster a more peaceful world.

Goi held informal, open talks to discuss the attainment of inner peace and to offer his spiritual guidance. He believed that if we put all of our efforts into this prayer, it would have a transformative effect on society.

With this enduring message and through more than 60 published books, his legacy continues to resonate in the work of the Goi Peace Foundation and among the laureates of the Goi Peace Prize.

"World peace comes about when each individual lives in a peaceful setting. Likewise, when each individual lives in a peaceful setting, it means that world peace has been realised." - Masahisa Goi

Declaration for all Life on Earth

This declaration is the guiding vision for the Goi Peace Foundation. It sets out four principles to help us realise a sustainable and peaceful future. It reminds us of our collective responsibility as members of the global community to care for our planet and the people on it.

1. Reverence for life - A reminder that all life is sacred and deserving of our respect. Creating a world based on love and harmony helps us to honour this.

2. Respect for all differences - Respect must be given to everyone equally, regardless of race, ethnic group, religion, culture, tradition or customs. We must build a world free from discrimination and confrontation. Social, physical, and spiritual diversity should be celebrated.

3. Gratitude for and coexistence with all of nature - We must learn to live with and respect the blessings of nature, live in harmony with it and show gratitude for all forms of life, including animals and plants.

4. Harmony between the spiritual and material - The harmonious balance of material and spiritual civilisation must be reached. Overemphasis on the material serves no purpose. We must instead foster a healthy spirituality among humanity and build a world where spiritual riches are also valued.

Jeremy Gilley – 2025 Goi Peace Laureate

"In recognition of his contributions to creating a global movement that unites people's hearts and actions for peace, transcending differences in politics, religion, race, and culture."

After a successful career in film and television, Gilley shifted his focus to peace and humanitarian causes. He founded the non-profit organisation ➡️ Peace One Day originally with the mission of establishing an annual day of global ceasefire and nonviolence with a fixed date.

With International Peace Day now a designated day of global ceasefire, it provides the perfect opportunity to carry out humanitarian work in some of the world's most dangerous zones. One of the most successful missions came in 2007 when a 70% reduction in violence was recorded in Afghanistan. This allowed 10,000 aid workers in collaboration with UNAMA, UNICEF, and the WHO to administer polio vaccines to 4.5 million children.

In 2022, Gilley was awarded an MBE for his services to global peace. Throughout his many decades of dedicated peace activism, he has received numerous awards, including the Lennon-Ono Grant for Peace, the IVCA Fellowship, and the Carnegie-Wateler Peace Prize.

"World Peace Day is envisioned to become a moment of global unity - it is up to each and every one of us to make this a reality" - Jeremy Gilley

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The Goi Peace Award highlights that achieving peace is possible and that each of our individual contributions really does make a difference. With the foundation's work extending far beyond the award and the borders of Japan, their contribution to world peace is immense.

With a special focus on youth, the foundation calls upon parents, teachers, and society to not only instil in children the culture of peace but also to learn from children themselves. Society can learn a lot from the purity, innocence, creativity, and wisdom of the young generation.

In the wise words of Masahisa Goi - "May Peace Prevail on Earth"

Author: Rachael Mellor, 03.02.26 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

For further reading on the Goi Peace Prize see below ⬇️